My Funny Valentine
by GreenField
Summary: Viria Beauchamp has just transferred to ed Weasley is getting more than a little bored with life at Hogwarts.What will happen when a bet on the new girl goes a bit too far...and with Voldemort gaining strength,can this newfound love last? R&R! Cover image by burdge-bug DeviantArt .
1. New Girl

**A/N: Hey! So, I know some people will hate me for writing an OC into Harry Potter. And I'm sorry for that. But at the same time, I am absolutely dying to write this fanfiction, so I'm going to. It starts in Order of the Phoenix, just after the formation of the DA, and will go right up to Deathly Hallows, though there are a few planned time gaps. So, I really hope you like it, and please review! **

**All characters and settings and pretty much everything belong to J.K. Rowling, my heroine, except Viria (she is mine!) and the plotline, I guess. Thank you for reading.**

Fred nudged his twin as they watched Filch the caretaker hammer another 'Educational decree' into the wall, wobbling on his ladder unsteadily. No music to be played during study hours.

"Great, another one. Soon enough we won't be doing anything at all" the pair moved away from the dozens of decrees and carried on walking, pushing through the other students gawking up at the wall that was now pretty much wallpapered with decrees.

"Right you are, Fred. Since that old hag got her claws into the place Hogwarts has become the dullest place on earth" George agreed. A grin lit his face, the mirror image of his twin's.

"We need to do something to liven things up a bit" he suggested, eyes gleaming maliciously. Fred sighed. Even his cheerfulness was beginning to suffer.

"We've done pretty much every trick in the book" he pointed out, "Though I suppose we could try a few out of the book...metaphorically speaking"

"Yeah, but like what?" George mused. Fred brightened a little. There was nothing he loved more than a bit of a challenge, and George had certainly given him something to think about.

"Have you seen the new decree?" Ginny appeared before them, her face screwed into a scowl that the twins knew to mean trouble, "Stupid old toad. We're all going to die of boredom"

"Maybe that's what she's planning" Fred suggested, dropping his voice to make it sound as sinister as possible. Ginny just about cracked a smile, but someone else laughed.

The twins looked in unison to the left of their sister, where a girl they had not seen before was standing. She had been the one that had laughed, and she had a hand over her mouth as if she thought she maybe shouldn't have laughed at all. She had black curly hair, silky and shimmering, and green eyes that danced. Ginny rolled her eyes at the girl.

"Trust me, you won't find their little jokes all that funny when you've heard them a billion times" she said before looking back to her brothers, "This is Viria"

Fred and George made exaggerated bows towards Viria, who laughed again. They exchanged a glance.

"And why have we not seen you before, Viria?" Fred asked, "We make it our business to know all of Ginny's friends"

Ginny glared at them, an annoyed flush spreading over her freckles, "It's not like she's male, Fred, you don't need to worry!"

Fred looked Viria up and down, "No. We can see that"

Viria's hand dropped from where it had hidden her laughter and her eyes stopped dancing. She tipped her head to one side inquiringly, but still said nothing.

"Why haven't we seen you before?" George pressed, obviously alarmed by his twin's sudden incoherence.

"I've just transferred here. From Beauxbatons" she explained. They understood now why she might have been self-conscious about speaking; her voice had the merest hint of a delicate French accent, and danced like her eyes.

"Why were you at Beauxbatons?" George asked with a polite smile in her direction. Fred still wasn't speaking, and George was sure he knew why. An idea to liven things up had just pinged in his brain.

"My mother is French, and my father is English. Papa wanted me to go to school here, and I wanted to also, but my mother was insistent. It has taken us four years to persuade her" her smile was stunning, "And now I am here, but I must confess, it isn't quite what I expected"

"I told you, it's just because that awful woman is teaching here. Hogwarts isn't normally like this, right?" Ginny looked to her older brothers for back up.

"She's right" Fred agreed, speaking for the first time in what felt like a long time, "It won't last. We just need to find a way to get rid of Umbridge – "

"Hem, hem"

"Oops" George mumbled, noticing that Ginny and Viria were staring at the source of that pathetic little cough, who was standing just behind them. They turned warily, and Umbridge smiled her sickening smile.

"Please, boys, do continue" she urged sweetly. Fred and George looked at each other. Fred shrugged.

"Not that much to say, really" he said carelessly.

"Yeah, it wasn't one of our best" George added chirpily. Umbridge's piggy eyes narrowed momentarily, then she nodded, little bow bouncing atop her head.

"Very well. I shall keep my ears open in the hope of hearing the rest of that delightful conversation" she beamed, and strode stoutly away, shoes tapping neatly on the floor. The twins turned back to Viria and Ginny. Ginny was scowling, but Viria's eyes were wide.

"I don't like her very much" she said at once.

"Is that the first time you've seen her?"

"Yes. I only got here yesterday, I have not had a lesson with her yet"

"Lucky you" George muttered.

"Stick with Gin-Gin" George advised, "She's a good person to have on your side"

"I won't be on your side if you keep calling me that" Ginny said sternly, arms folded, "Come on, Viria, I want you to meet Luna"

She linked Viria's arm and dragged her away. Viria smiled at the twins over her shoulder, and George turned to face Fred with a wicked grin.

"I've decided on what we can do" he declared. Fred was still looking at Viria and Ginny's retreating backs.

"Go on" he said, dragging his eyes away and grinning his twin grin, "What is it?"

"A bet. Between us. Because you so obviously like Viria" George taunted. Fred raised his eyebrows.

"I do not _like_ her. But she is pretty"

"You only like her because she's got a French accent"

"I do find French accents rather sexy"

"I know. I remember what you were like with the girls from Beauxbatons before" George paused, "So, a bet. I bet you can't get that pretty little French girl to kiss you"

"By when?" Fred asked, instantly up for it.

"No time limit. I just want to see if you can do it"

"Fine. But if I have to try and get her to kiss me, you have to try and get Angelina to kiss you"

"Angelina?" George spluttered, "But you took her to the Yule Ball!"

"Be that as it may, it's you she likes" Fred shrugged, "But, of course, if you don't want to take part in the bet..."

"I'll do it" George agreed at once. Fred smirked.

"Though you might" he paused, "So, that Viria girl...how long do you think it'll take?"


	2. Almost

**A/N: Hey! Thank you very much for the reviews -Lady Eleanor Boleyn, I knew I could count on you! This is a rather quick update for me, but I've got this story right in my head at the moment, so...please review! Thank you for reading.**

Viria looked over the top of her copy of Slinkhard's book and rolled her eyes skyward. Ginny did likewise. It was so silent in Umbridge's class that you could have heard a pin drop.

"Guess it saves time on the lesson plan if she's got every class doing the same thing" Ginny mumbled out of the corner of her mouth, glaring at Umbridge. Viria smiled and smothered a laugh, ducking her head behind the book. She'd just been thinking the very same thing.

"I'm glad to see that you find the book so enjoyable, Miss...?"

Everyone in the class looked up, eager for a distraction, and when Viria looked up she found that Umbridge was looking at her. Great.

"Beauchamp" she replied, blushing, "Viria Beauchamp"

"Well, Miss Beauchamp. Would you like to tell me what you find so amusing about Mr Slinkhard's book?" Umbridge had moved a little closer to the desk. All eyes were fixed on Viria. She was the new girl, they still didn't know very much about her; it would be interesting to see how she handled Umbridge.

"It's not so much the book that I find amusing, Professor" Viria looked up at the stout woman, "I just wondered what we will be doing once we have finished the book"

"That thought amuses you?" Umbridge raised her eyebrows, "Then I shall tell you, Miss Beauchamp. We may discuss the book. Then we shall read it again"

There was an outbreak of protestations from the class. Ginny rose from her seat.

"Reading the book a million times isn't going to teach us what we need to be taught!" she exclaimed, slamming the book down on the desk. Umbridge looked coldly at her.

"Sit down, Miss Weasley. The book tells you everything you will need to know to pass your exams"

"Ginny's right, Professor, how can we perform the spells mentioned here without any practice?" Viria put in with a quick glance at her friend, "It doesn't make any sense"

"The Ministry has decided that this book is suitable for your learning. It would do you well to trust in this"

"We were never taught like this at Beauxbatons. Seems to me our Ministry was a lot more sensible than yours" Viria retorted sharply.

There were a few gasps. Several people looked down at the desks as if to disassociate themselves from her. Viria looked down at Ginny, who shook her head slightly. Maybe she'd gone a bit too far.

"Sit down, Miss Beauchamp. If you speak another word, I shall put you both in detention"

Viria sat. She and Ginny looked at each other behind their books.

"You don't want detention with her" Ginny hissed, "Hermione told me what she did to Harry's hand"

Viria looked quizzically at her, "Harry's – "

"Girls!" Umbridge shrieked. They fell silent.

* * *

><p>Harry, Ron and Hermione seemed much more inclined to talk to Viria once they heard about her run-in with Umbridge. They'd been perfectly friendly before, but now they included her much more animatedly in their conversations with Ginny. Viria knew how Ginny felt about Harry, and she used this new friendship to try and deduce whether or not he felt the same way. Her results were inconclusive which, of course, she did not tell Ginny. If only they could get rid of that bloody Cho Chang...<p>

She was getting on well with Fred and George too. She liked them both, and they could always make her laugh...but she might have had a bit of a soft spot for Fred. Just a bit.

* * *

><p>"Oh, go on Fred, let's have a game of Exploding Snap" Lee whined, stretched out across his bed in the dorm room that he and the twins shared. George nodded.<p>

"Yeah, go on. Lee's giving me advice on how to win Angelina over"

"I don't think it's going to take much, to be honest" Fred admitted, "Then again, you are the uglier one"

George threw a rolled up sock at him, "Go and get those cards before I hex you"

"Fine" Fred sighed, making his way down to the common room where he'd left the cards earlier. Ginny and Ron had been playing a game that became extremely competitive, and he'd ended up walking off and leaving them to it. Those two were not destined to get on.

Viria was sitting in the common room, and considering the lateness of the hour, Fred wasn't expecting to see her there. She was wrapped up in a pink dressing gown, seated before the fire, writing a letter. He thought he saw a tear splash the page. Hm. Maybe if he found out why she was upset and comforted her...he could win the bet! Genius, absolute genius.

Plus he did have a soft spot for her. Just a bit.

"Viria?"

She jumped and twisted round in her seat, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. She smiled feebly when she saw him.

"Oh, hi, Fred. Didn't see you there"

"Sorry" Fred walked towards the sofa and flopped down next to her. She covered the letter with the sleeve of the dressing gown which, he saw, was rather damp. She'd obviously been wiping her eyes a lot.

"What's wrong?" he asked eventually, trying to look concerned. Weirdly, he didn't have to try very hard.

"It's nothing, really. I'm being stupid"

"I don't think you'd be crying that much over nothing"

"Oh. You saw"

"Your eyes looked like puffed-up tomatoes. It's not hard to work out"

She grinned, wiping her eyes again, "I can honestly say that's the first time anyone's ever told me my eyes look like tomatoes"

"What do they usually tell you?"

She snorted, "What, as chat-up lines? Usually emeralds. Though there was this one boy who told me my eyes looked like grass, and got confused when I didn't want to see him again"

Fred cracked up laughing, "Oh dear. It wasn't Neville by any chance, was it?"

She laughed, loudly, "No! Though it does sound like the sort of thing he'd say...oh, I mustn't really, he's such a _petite amie_"

"A what?" Fred was more than slightly mesmerised by the fact that she'd just spoken French. What was it about that accent that he found so...sexy?

She laughed again, "A sweetheart. Sorry. English is my first language, but I spoke French for four years at Beauxbatons. I sort of miss speaking it"

"That's not why you're crying, is it?" he joked feebly. Her smile fell.

"No. I'm just...well, you can't call it homesick...I just miss everyone. Back at Beauxbatons. My best friend there, Antoinette, she was lovely. I miss having her around"

Fred pretended to be affronted, "Are you saying my sister isn't good enough for you?"

For a moment, she thought he was serious, "No!" she cried in earnest protest, "No, Ginny is wonderful, she'd already been so kind to me and..." she spotted the hint of a badly suppressed smile on his face, "Oh. You're joking"

"You should learn that I very rarely say anything serious" Fred shrugged, grinning once again. She still did not smile.

"I'll remember that" there was a pause before she next spoke, "Anyway, I miss Antoinette, which is stupid because I've made so many great friends here"

"It's not stupid. It's perfectly natural to miss your friends" he hesitated. George and Lee were probably wondering where he'd got to...

Oh well. Stuff them.

"Fancy a game of chess?"

"Chess?" she looked surprised, "I didn't imagine you being the sort of person that plays chess"

"I'm full of surprises, me"

"I'm not very good" she bit on her lip and his eyes at once fixed on her mouth. If he could just get her to kiss him, he'd win the bet...

"I find that very hard to believe".

She looked at him the same way she had when he'd flirted slightly before, tilting her head to one side in what appeared to be deep thought. Her lips parted slightly and he took that for consent. He leaned in...

"Ehm, hm" George was standing in the doorway, arms folded, smirking, "Am I interrupting something?"

Viria went bright pink and jumped up from the sofa. Her letter and quill rolled to the floor and she scrambled to pick them up, still blushing. In her haste her dressing gown had slipped slightly, and Fred caught sight of a blue lace strap over pale, unmarred skin before she bid them both goodnight and dashed upstairs.

Fred turned to George, scowling, "I'm going to kill you"

George was still smirking, "I thought you were taking a while to find those cards. Come on, Fred. I want to win too. I'm not going to make this easy for you"

"No" Fred muttered, snatching up the pack of cards and following his twin sulkily up the stairs, "I bet you're not"


	3. DA

**A/N: I'm doing something really bad...I am updating twice in one day, on the same story. I do not do this often. I should be updating one of my other stories. I'm sorry. Please review and thank you for reading!**

"I don't understand. How come you didn't tell me about any of this before?"

"I had to see if you were trustworthy, didn't I?" Ginny teased, nudging her new friend in the hip, "We don't just tell random people about the Order, or about the DA. Especially not about the Order" she paused, "Plus Ron's convinced you're a French spy"

"He's...what?" Viria spluttered, and Ginny laughed too.

"It's fine, Hermione knocked that idea out of him straightaway. So. Do you want to join?" she was looking hopefully at Viria, "The more members we have, the better"

Viria grinned, "Of course I want to join! Anything against Umbridge is good with me"

"And against You-Know-Who" Ginny added.

"Well, that's just a bonus!" Viria laughed, "Where do I sign up?"

* * *

><p>"I thought we could maybe get started on Patronuses today" Harry suggested. He looked slightly uncomfortable, and Viria thought how hard it must be to try and teach people your own age without feeling patronising.<p>

There was a murmured rush of excitement around the room.

"I'm not promising you'll be able to do it on your first try" said Harry hastily, "It's just a really good thing to be able to do, especially if Dumbledore's right and the Dementors are under Voldemort's control"

There was another set of murmurs. Even Viria was a little startled; she'd never heard anyone say Voldemort's name outright before. But then, this was Harry Potter, and she knew all about Harry Potter.

"Go on, you have a go first" Ginny urged. Viria looked down at her wand, then back up at Ginny.

"I don't think so"

"You don't know until you try"

They all managed to produce little swirls of silver vapour, but not much more, not on that first day – though, if she was honest, Viria had been expecting Hermione to get it instantly.

Harry wandered around the room, advising everyone, but Viria wasn't the only one who noticed that he spent more time lingering around Cho than anyone else. Ginny scowled and put more aggression into the spell than was needed, while Viria smiled sympathetically.

Fred and George were nearby, arguing over who was closer to producing a Patronus, but grinning as they did so. Viria was trying not to look. She couldn't believe her and Fred had nearly kissed! If only George hadn't interrupted...but Fred had been nothing but normal since, and hadn't expressed any form of romantic interest. She hadn't told Ginny, and she wasn't planning to, either.

"Viria! Viria, you're doing it!"

"What?" Viria snapped out of her thought and gaped.

There was a bird, made of gleaming silver vapour, arcing in the air above them. A hummingbird.

"Bloody Hell!" Ron exclaimed. The entire DA was gazing up at the bird, Viria's Patronus, which disappeared as quickly as it had come. There was a round of applause, and everyone set to the spell with renewed effort.

Harry came over, looking delighted, "Viria, that's brilliant!"

"Thanks" she murmured, slightly dazed, "I don't actually remember saying the spell..."

"Well done, you" Fred had come over and ruffled her curls cheerfully. She swatted him away, laughing.

"Get off!"

"I was only trying to congratulate you" Fred paused, still grinning, "What were you thinking about? It looked pretty strong"

"It was" Harry agreed.

"Yeah, what were you thinking about?" Ginny asked, looking suddenly deeply interested. Viria reddened and tried to stop herself looking at Fred.

"I don't know. Can't remember"

"It was about two minutes ago, of course you can remember!" Fred laughed.

"It was nothing" she said firmly, and their eyes met. A strange expression crossed Fred's face, and she wondered if he realised what she was trying to hide. He looked uncomfortable, so she thought he probably had.

Ginny's eyes were narrowed and Viria knew she'd have to come up with something good for the inevitable questions she'd get later.

"I think that'll have to be it for today" Harry called over the noise, "But well done everyone, especially Viria! On her first meeting as well"

Everyone reluctantly gathered up their things and started leaving. Ginny went off with Luna and Viria hung back for a few minutes. Fred was doing the same, despite the fact that George was glaring at him from the doorway before he slipped out.

"Come on, there's no-one here. You can tell me now" Fred was grinning, but she knew that he knew what she'd been thinking.

"It's stupid" she muttered.

"You seem to think everything you think about is stupid. Come on" Fred laughed, "Just pretend I'm Ginny and you share everything with me"

Viria laughed, then fell silent again, "I don't think I'd be telling Ginny, to be honest"

Fred looked at her for a minute or so. He would never have a better opportunity than now. And she'd definitely been thinking about their almost kiss; he'd seen it in her eyes. But there was a tiny part of him that didn't want to rush things. A tiny part of him that didn't really care if he won or lost the bet.

Her lips were parted again, and she was looking slightly hopeful. Moments passed. She sighed, loudly, and folded her arms.

"Fred, are you going to kiss me or what?"

Fred was more than a little taken aback. He knew she'd stood up to Umbridge, but otherwise he'd always seen her as quite sweet and shy. She wasn't looking very shy at that moment in time, with her eyebrows raised and her arms crossed. He couldn't resist a smile.

"Maybe"

"Then get on with it, before we die of old age, please"

Fred leaned closer to her, ran his fingers through her hair. She suddenly didn't look so confident.

"I was thinking about you" she whispered.

And he kissed her.


	4. Quidditch

**A/N: Hey, me again! I can't believe I'm updating again...Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews, they are very much appreciated – you have no idea. Quite frankly I'm surprised that so many of you like this – and pleased, obviously! Thank you for reading, too **

"Wait a minute...what? I don't get it"

"It's not hard! Just don't tell her about the bet"

"So let me get this straight: we had a bet that you couldn't get a kiss off of her, and if you did, then you'd win, right?"

"Correct"

"And you have actually kissed her...but you don't want the glory of winning?"

"No"

"But _why_?"

"Because I'm secretly dating her"

"Why secretly?"

"Because you have a massive gob and she's Ginny's best friend"

"If I've got a massive gob then why are you telling me?"

"Because we don't have secrets. But to make it clear, I'm secretly dating her, I really like her, I think she feels the same, and I think that if she knew it was based on a bet she'd hate me for the rest of my life. Okay?"

"Right. Okay" George paused, eyeing his twin suspiciously, "Are you sure she hasn't just enchanted you with her Frenchness?"

"Positive" Fred replied firmly, "So you won't tell anyone?"

"Not if you don't want me to. But how long are you planning to keep it a secret for?"

Fred shrugged, "Haven't decided yet"

George smirked, "You really do like her, don't you?"

"What makes you say that?" Fred asked in return, rolling his eyes.

"You've got that look on your face"

"What look?"

"I don't know how to describe it. You look like you've just got lucky with a Veela"

"Oh. Nice, Georgie, really nice. You have such a way with words"

"It's been said before"

* * *

><p>"Have you said anything to Ginny?" Fred asked, tracing the slant of her jaw with his lips. She shook her head; he felt her soft dark curls brushing against his cheek.<p>

"I don't have a death wish, Fred" she laughed, looking around them warily, "I always feel like she's going to pop up around the corner and hex us"

Fred laughed too, "I'm sure she has better things to do than stalk us, Vi"

"Well I'm sure she does too, but I'm still scared. She's got a terrible temper"

"I've lived with her for nearly fifteen years, and you think I don't know that?"

Viria looked around them; the corridor was deserted. Everyone was at breakfast in the Great Hall, where they knew Ron would be the centre of attention – it was his first game, and the Quidditch cup depended on it.

"Good luck today" she murmured, jumping onto her tiptoes to give him a swift kiss on the lips, "This is my first Quidditch match here. And the teams at Beauxbatons were awful"

Fred grinned, "I can assure you that we are not awful. Not too sure about Ron, though. He doesn't do well under pressure"

"Oh, he'll be fine" she smiled at him, "I'd better go to breakfast. You can follow in a minute. Ginny and Luna were already wondering why I was lagging behind. Oh my God, wait until you see what Luna is wearing. You have to love her"

"I'm sure it'll be fascinatingly eccentric, as always" Fred kissed her a last time, "Go on then, go, before they get suspicious"

Viria dashed away, smiling over her shoulder and giving him a little wave before she entered the Great Hall. Fred leaned against the wall and sighed heavily.

God, she'd got him hooked.

* * *

><p>It wasn't much later that they were travelling down to the Quidditch pitch. While Harry, Ron, Fred and George had gone to get ready, Viria was making her way to the stands with Hermione and Ginny, bundled up in her Gryffindor scarf that she had never worn before. She was excited, buzzing with the adrenaline of her first game and her secret, the one that was making her permanent smile light her pretty face. Hermione was eyeing her suspiciously, but did not seem inclined to comment on Viria's unstoppable grin. Ginny was too absorbed in watching Ron emerge onto the pitch, looking queasy, to notice.<p>

"I suppose you're looking forward to it, as it's your first game here?"

"Oh, definitely!" Viria replied brightly as they slipped in to the highest up seats, "Do you think Ron will do alright? I don't quite know him well enough to make a guess"

Hermione grimaced, "I'm not sure. And I'm a bit worried; the Slytherins have got something planned, I'm sure of it, they kept looking over at breakfast...and they look far too cheery to me"

"Yes, I had noticed" Viria agreed, looking anxiously at the crowding Slytherins, "I do hope they don't ruin it, Fred would be so disappointed – "

"Fred?" Hermione frowned. Viria went a little pink.

"I mean, all of them will be disappointed. Of course"

The match appeared to be going well, for a little while. Ron looked pale and terrified, and the Slytherins were putting up a good fight. It was all going well enough...until Ron missed the first goal, and they found out what the Slytherins had been smirking over that morning.

"_Weasley cannot save a thing,_ _He cannot block a single ring,_ _That's why Slytherins all sing:_ _Weasley is our King._ _Weasley was born in a bin_ _He always lets the Quaffle in_ _That's why Slytherins all sing:_ _Weasley is our King._ _Weasley is our King,_ _Weasley is our King,_ _Weasley will make sure we win_ _Weasley is our King"_

"Of all the ignorant - !" Hermione seethed, glaring at them. Viria was fuming too, and they could see that the whole Gryffindor team was outraged. Ginny had her fists clenched.

"The bastards! If they say one more word about my brother I swear to God I'll – "

"Look – look, it's alright, it's over, Harry's got the snitch – Oh my God!" Viria shrieked. As Harry had gone to the ground, a bludger had slammed into his back and knocked him clean off of his broom. Ginny gave a cry of rage. Hermione screamed and was about the run down there when she saw that Harry had stirred and unsteadily stood up. She, Viria and Ginny all breathed sighs of relief.

Then Malfoy opened his mouth. The three girls couldn't hear what he was saying from up in the stands, but they could see that Fred and George were growing angrier by the moment. Suddenly, Harry grabbed George in restraint and Fred launched himself at Draco, being held back by Angelina, Katie and Alicia.

"What's that little weasel doing now?" Ginny growled, "I think we'd better go down there – "

Just as they began to run down to the pitch, Malfoy said something that made Harry suddenly release George and launch at Malfoy himself. Fred was still struggling. Harry and George had leapt on Malfoy and both seemed determined to punch every inch of him.

Madam Hooch stormed onto the pitch just as Ginny, Viria and Hermione arrived. The three chasers had finally let go of Fred and Viria rushed over to him, laying a hand on his arm. She could see that he was still blazing with anger.

"Fred, what – "

"Leave it, Viria" he shook her off and sloped off towards the changing rooms as Harry and George were dragged off to McGonagall's office.

* * *

><p>They met up outside the common room a few hours later. The Fat Lady eyed them curiously, but didn't ask why they weren't entering. Harry, Fred and George had been banned from playing and their brooms confiscated, and it had taken all of them the past few hours just to calm down enough to stop yelling. Harry and George were in the common room, everyone empathizing with their situation and Angelina sulking.<p>

"Sorry I snapped" Fred mumbled, fists still screwed up at his side, "The stuff Malfoy was saying – I was just so wound up – "

"It's fine" Viria sighed, gently unclenching his fists and grabbing his hands in her own, "I understand. It was horrible, all those Slytherins mocking Ron like that, and then Malfoy, and now that awful woman stopping you playing – I'm angry too!"

"I think you should teach me some French swear words, so I could have the satisfaction of swearing at Umbridge and her having no idea what I'm on about"

Viria laughed, "I don't think so, somehow" she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him for what felt like a very long time, "I'm really sorry about today"

"It's okay. Well, it's not, but we can't do anything. The thing is, me and George have been thinking – "

She interrupted him with a kiss, which he responded to eagerly. Both of them failed to hear Ginny's voice as she moved towards the portrait hole from inside the common room;

"I'm going to find Viria, I don't know where she's got t – bloody hell!".

Fred and Viria leapt apart as though they'd been hexed. Ginny was staring at them, but, far from looking angry, she was smiling. Everyone inside the common room was trying to see what Ginny had seen, and upon them spotting Fred and Viria together there was much whooping and cheering and wolf-whistling, especially from George and Ron. Ginny put her hands on her lips.

"And you were planning on telling me when?" she asked Viria, who was instantly flustered.

"Ginny, I'm really sorry, I was going to tell you – "

"Ah, but the thing is, Viria, I already knew"

"You knew?" Viria cried, "And you don't mind?"

"Well, it's a bit disgusting, if I'm honest, but it's also quite sweet, I guess" her smile widened into a grin, "George told me"

"George!" Fred protested. George shrugged.

"She's our kid sister, and she thought something was going on anyway. I just confirmed her suspicions"

Viria and Fred looked at each other. Fred looked into the common room, with the groups of gaping Gryffindors, and kissed her again.


	5. J'Adore

**A/N: Hi! Sorry it's been a little while, but thank you so much for the lovely reviews, I really appreciate it. Thank you for reading, and please review this chapter. **

"Have you seen the latest?" Ginny asked with a smirk at breakfast, smiling as Viria pushed a plate of food towards her, "You won't like it"

"It's not something awful, is it?" Viria asked worriedly, putting down her orange juice, "Something in the Prophet? It's not someone we know – "

"No, nothing like that! It's another one of Umbridge's ridiculous decrees" Ginny looked over at Fred and Viria, who were seated very close together opposite her, "'Boys and girls are not permitted to be within eight inches of each other'" she quoted in a high-pitched squeak. Viria and Fred exchanged stricken glances that made Ginny and George snort with laughter.

"Oh, you poor souls" she taunted, "How will you survive?"

"Shut up" Viria huffed, folding her arms across her chest, "Don't be a bitch"

"Ooh!" Ginny laughed, "Someone's grumpy this morning"

"Well I am now!" Viria looked up at Fred, pouting, "You haven't said anything. Are you not as bothered as I am?"

Fred spluttered in protest, "Of course I'm as bothered as you are!"

"You'd better be" Viria grumbled, "I'll just have to kiss you in the common room"

Ginny grimaced, "No thank you"

"Yeah" George was pulling a face too, "We'd rather not be witnesses to that"

"What I don't get is what she'd make _you_ write on your hand if she saw you doing that?" Ginny mused, trying not to laugh, "I will not display disgusting shows of affection before innocent and horrified witnesses"

Fred threw Hermione's copy of the Prophet at her across the table, and she and George both ducked, roaring with laughter. Hermione, Harry and Ron, although they had not joined in with the conversation, were also laughing. Viria had stopped scowling and turned faintly pink.

"You're all so annoying" she complained, and started on her breakfast.

* * *

><p>"Ginny, that's it!" Viria exclaimed, and Ginny staggered under the effort of producing her Patronus. Her eyes had been closed tight in concentration, and she had obviously been focusing really hard on her chosen memory. The silver vapour of her Patronus had shaped itself into a beautiful horse, which was leaping and galloping through the air. Ginny gasped and the two of them gazed at the horse with beaming smiles. Fred and George still had not produced their Patronuses, and were now extremely annoyed that two girls two years younger than them had managed it.<p>

Viria moved to Fred's side, "You're not thinking of anything happy enough" she told him smugly, "That's why I'm better at it than you"

"Oh, thanks a lot" Fred wasn't doing a very good job of being annoyed; her turned and smiled down at her while she regarded his efforts thoughtfully, "What do you suggest then, Miss Know-It-All?"

"I suggest that you, much like the rest of your brothers, are not attuned to your emotions as strongly as you should be" Viria retorted, smiling back.

"Well what do you think about?" Fred turned towards her, readily distracted. He didn't like not being able to do stuff that Ginny could. She looked up at him, green eyes gleaming from under her thick, dark eyelashes.

"Well" she began, lowering her voice, "Today I thought about the wonderful afternoon we spent together yesterday, sitting under the tree by the lake"

"Oh. That" Fred's eyes glazed over slightly as he recalled the hours they had spent there, and the feel of Viria's lips on his own, and his hands on her-

"Fred!" George cut in, waving a hand in front of his face, "We're hardly going to be able to do anything with you standing there looking gormless!"

Fred jerked out of his daydream to find George looking exasperated and Viria rather dazed, obviously remembering also. He shook the memory away.

"Sorry. Let's try again"

And then they heard it. The first noise, just a slight tap on the wall that made the room tremble. Everyone froze.

"Oh shit" Ginny breathed.

"Bloody Hell" Ron murmured. Without noticing it the entire DA had moved into a knot, clustered together and looking around them warily, wands held aloft.

Then there was a crash, the loudest they could have imagined, almost like an explosion, and nearly all of them jumped backwards in fright. Viria shrieked and grabbed Fred so hard he could feel the dig of her nails through his jumper.

Umbridge, Filch, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were standing before where a hole had been blown in the wall. Umbridge was quivering with excitement, and as one everyone lowered their wands in defeat.

"Know what I think, Fred?" George muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

"What's that, George?"

"I think we've been busted"

"I think you're right, mate"

* * *

><p>Dumbledore was gone. The DA was finished. There were more decrees than ever. Exams were coming up. And Dolores Jane Umbridge had been made Headmistress of Hogwarts.<p>

The entire DA had scars on their hands - "I must not disobey the orders of the Headmistress" – and Viria was pretty sure that there couldn't possibly be any murtlap essence left in the whole country, they had all used so much. It was rare to see a student without red, raw skin and scabby marks, and Viria felt like she was in some sort of medieval nightmare. A tiny part of her wished she had stayed at Beauxbatons, but the rest of her reminded her of all she had gained from coming to Hogwarts, and how little she had lost in comparison.

After another run in with Umbridge in lessons, Viria also had another scar, and this sentence stood out in scarlet, plain as day, and she was sure she would have it for a very long time; "I must not fight back".

She wasn't sure what Umbridge meant by that, and she thought it might be a warning for the future that Umbridge assumed she would have, but she hated it. Having a scar that declared she wouldn't fight somehow made her feel like a coward. Fred told her she was being stupid as he kissed it better, but that was how she felt, and there was no way around it.

She and Fred were seated in the common room together a few days after these scars had been given and, as she had deduced, they had not faded. They were bright and bold on her alabaster skin, and Fred was gently massaging over them in small, soft circles.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you, Vi" he said, his voice as soft as the feel of his hand on hers, "Not that I'm any good at all this stuff. I mean, I can do the cheeky charming chat up lines and all that, but the serious stuff – "

"Get on with it, won't you?" on the outside, Viria appeared to be amused, but Fred now knew her so well that he could see she was on tenterhooks, waiting for the inevitable words. He'd been working up to saying the three words for a while now, in the few months that they had been dating, but he could never find the perfect time. Even now, they were surrounded by people studying for their OWLs and NEWTs, Hermione looked particularly frantic, with the radio turned down low. But she'd been miserable since the ending of the DA and the scar on her hand, and he thought that this might be the right time to tell her and, hopefully, put a smile on her face.

"Okay. Um. The thing is, see..."

"Stop dragging it out, Fred" she was laughing, her eyes bright and eager. He brushed away a silky black curl of hair; he loved her hair.

"This really weird thing's happened to me since you turned up here. I've kind of fallen in love with you"

He heard her breath hitch in her throat, and saw the smile as it blossomed and grew on her beautiful face, "I've fallen in love with you, too"

There was no need to say anything else; they looked at each other for a very long time before the lips met, the kiss long, lingering and sensual. Her lips parted on his and his fingers threaded through each individual ringlet of her hair as they entwined.

"Will you two stop that?" Hermione shrieked, looking hugely frazzled, "Go somewhere else, can't you?"

Fred and Viria exchanged glances. Viria had to cover her mouth, choking back laughter. Fred, too, looked as though he wanted to laugh.

They slipped silently from the room with everyone's eyes of them, most of them smothering their own urge to giggle, holding hands. As soon as they were out of the common room and standing just before the portrait of the Fat Lady, the two of them burst into gales of laughter, holding on to each other for support, Viria clutching a stitch in her side. When they finally stopped, wiping their eyes and still clinging to each other, their eyes met again and they smiled. Viria's eyes were dancing as they had on the day they had met.

"D'you know why I first fell for you?" Fred asked gently, toying with her hair again. She shook her head, her lips inches from his.

"Go on"

"It was your French accent. I have such a weakness for French accents. Just for French in general, actually" he confessed. Viria raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, really? I'll remember that" she paused, "Do you want to know why I first fell for you?"

"Go on"

"I'm pretty sure it was your lovely hand-knitted jumpers"

They both cracked up laughing again and, darting a quick glance around them to see if anyone was watching, ran downstairs to the freedom of the starlight night.


	6. Out With a Bang

**A/N: Hey! Sorry, I haven't had much time to update, we had exams this week - and I won't have a chance to update this weekend! So I thought I'd better do it now. Thank you SO much for the reviews, I love you all to bits for writing them, and please review this chapter! Thank you for reading.**

_Just for this moment  
>As long as you're mine<br>Come be how you want to  
>And see how bright we shine<br>Borrow the moonlight  
>Until it is through<br>And know I'll be here holding you  
>As long as you're mine – As Long As You're Mine, Wicked. <em>

"What?" Viria craned her neck to look up at Fred, ebony hair ruffled, "Are you serious?"

The couple were lying on the grass under the Womping Willow, which Fred had stopped thrashing about using the tip of his wand. The tree freaked Viria out a bit, but she wasn't planning on admitting that. Anyway, she was safe with Fred. She felt safe with him, at least.

"Yeah" Fred paused for a minute, scanning her eyes for any trace of anger at his and George's plan, "I'm sorry"

"I guess I understand" Viria mumbled, looking out towards the castle, "I just can't imagine being here without you"

"You've not had me for that long" Fred pointed out, "And it's not like we'd be breaking up. We can still write, and I was thinking maybe you could come and stay for the summer"

Viria jerked up this time and stared at him, eyes gleaming, "Really? The whole summer?"

"If you wanted to. I mean, me and George have our own place now, and I bet you've never seen Diagon Alley"

"No, I haven't" Viria paused, smiling, "I've always wanted to. Do you really think we could do that?"

"I don't see why not" Fred shrugged, "So you're okay with us leaving?"

"I am and I'm not at the same time. But I do agree that you have to go. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is just what the wizarding world needs right now, and you and George are absolute geniuses when it comes to pranks and inventing"

"You'll like what we're doing tomorrow, then" Fred chuckled, looking distant and pleased with himself. Viria gripped his arm, looking eager.

"What? Oh, tell me!"

"No! Let's just say...we're going to go out with a bang"

* * *

><p>Later that night, Viria and Fred had taken advantage of the crammed common room, filled with frantic revisers still, to sneak up to Fred, George and Lee's dorm room. They were lying across the bed, just talking lazily, savouring what would be their last evening together for a while. Viria was twirling her hair around her fingers as she spoke, and Fred was watching the movement with longing eyes.<p>

"Fred"

"Yes?"

"I need to ask you something" she slid closer to him across the bed, and this action was much more intimate than any they had been used to before. Her lips pressed against his, soft and gentle, and when she pulled back she stayed mere inches away from him.

"Go on" Fred agreed, somewhat hoarsely. Viria's eyes suddenly seemed to be smouldering into his and it had completely thrown him.

She grinned suddenly, and for a moment he got the sense that part of her wanted to laugh.

"_Voulez vou choucher avec moi_?" she whispered, very softly. She knew that anyone, everyone, even if they had no knowledge of French whatsoever, knew that sentence and what it meant. Fred had already gone weak at the knees just because of the fact that she was speaking French. As her meaning came across, however, the dazed look left Fred's face and he frowned.

"That's kind of a surprise" he said eventually. Viria looked at him innocently.

"Is it?"

"Yeah! I mean...you are younger than me, Vi"

"I'm old enough to know what I want" Viria responded coolly, "And so are you"

Fred swallowed, audible in a room containing just the two of them, "Why now, Vi?"

"Because I won't see you for a few months and I don't want you to leave and decide that you don't really love me after all"

"That's not going to happen"

"It might. I know what you and George are like. Ginny's told me that you two are...well, she called you players – she had to explain it to me, and when she did it worried me"

"You don't need to worry about that" Fred urged warmly, stroking her ivory cheek, "It's you I love, and you I want. Plus, we weren't all that bad. I think Ginny's exaggerating slightly"

"Then if you want me...have me" she replied, her voice soft and persuasive again. She kissed his neck. Fred pulled away and looked right in her eyes.

"You're sure?"

"Yes"

Fred rose from the bed and moved to hang something on the door. Viria frowned at him.

"What's that for?"

"To tell George and Lee that they're sleeping in the common room tonight. We saw it on a Muggle thing. Good idea, right?"

"Won't they get cold?" Viria asked anxiously. Fred waved a hand airily.

"I've had to sleep down there plenty of times. We have blankets stashed away"

Viria laughed, pressing her hands to her mouth to smother the giggles, "You're an idiot, Fred Weasley"

"I love you too, Vi"

She stopped laughing and glowed up at him, "Me too"

* * *

><p>"Fred?"<p>

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to leave George and Lee down there all night?"

"I was planning on it"

Viria was curled around him in the bed closest to the window, where the sky was turning from black to grey, the peppered stars fading into the clouds. A ray of gold broke in the distance.

"Time to get up" Viria murmured to herself, but she did not move. There was a long and comfortable silence, not at all awkward as Viria had feared.

"How many girls have you been with before?" she asked abruptly, her face buried in his chest, not daring to look up and see his reaction to the question.

"Two" Fred replied, and she knew from the straight answer that he was telling the truth.

"Okay" there was another pause, "Do I-?"

"No, you don't know them"

"Okay. Good" she sat up slowly, stretching, and smiled down at where his red head lay on the burgundy pillow, "I'm sure your bed is comfier than mine"

Fred laughed and combed her hair with his fingers, "That's because I'm in it"

She jabbed him in the chest, laughing, "Don't be a jerk!"

"Jerk? Who says that in France?"

Viria reddened, "No-one. Ginny says it – I did use it right, didn't I?"

"If you meant to call me an idiot, then yes"

Viria grinned again, "Oh, that's good. I did use it right"

She slid out of the bed and picked up her clothes, dressing while he watched. It didn't make her feel nearly as uncomfortable as she probably should have.

"What lesson do you have when Harry, Ron and Hermione are doing the DADA exam?"

Viria turned to face Fred with a little smile, straightening her tie, "Potions. Why? Is that when you're making your great escape?"

"Yes. Trust me, you'll see it"

Viria moved back over to him to give him a long, lingering kiss. The last kiss for what would be some time.

"I'm going to miss you _follement"_

"What's that mean?"

"Like crazy" Viria kissed him again, "You will write, won't you?"

"I said I would. I don't break my promises" he traced the shape of her face, "I'll miss you like crazy too"

* * *

><p>"Viria, will you just tell me what happened? I heard you come in early this morning, I know that something went on" Ginny moaned, glaring at her best friend, "Come on, Vi"<p>

"You really don't want to know" Viria replied. They were on their way down to Potions, and Viria had her ears strained for anything unusual.

She didn't have to wait long.

There was a great bang, then several smaller but still loud sounds; fizzes, whizzes, crashes and pops, all coming from overhead. Viria and Ginny exchanged glances before following the rest of their class in the wild dash back up the stairs to see what was going on.

Fred and George were flying on their Summoned broomsticks, both laughing, throwing fireworks and casting spells that produced some of the most amazing effects Viria had ever seen in her life. The doors to the great hall had crashed open, and she could see the fifth years in the middle of their exam, all gawking up at the display being put on for them. Umbridge was in the midst of a right royal tantrum, but she could do nothing to stop them.

Viria laughed, a loud, ringing laugh, and at the sound Fred looked down, fixing his eyes on her with a wink. She winked back, and George turned to his twin.

"Ready, Fred?"

"Ready, George"

It was the most terrifying and beautiful piece of magic that any of them had ever seen. A huge dragon made of fizzing and crackling fireworks that glittered and glowed, gliding along, towards Umbridge. With a great roar it opened its mouth wide and snapped its jaws around her, the sparks breaking in a thousand pieces around her, eliciting a horrified scream. The laughter of the students was now all that could be heard; the exam had been forgotten. And Fred and George, after making their last salute to Peeves the ghost, flew off into a sky still littered with small, shimmering flames.


	7. The Ministry

**A/N: OMG, It's been ten days! Ten days! I'm really sorry. My only excuse is I actually had to re-read part of the book for this chapter, which makes me feel like a total loser for not remembering. Oh well. Thank you so much for the reviews! Please review again and thank you also for reading! There's a few time jumps in this because I didn't want to have to rewrite chunks of the book, so sorry about that!**

_When you're gone  
>The pieces of my heart are missing you<br>When you're gone  
>The face I came to know is missing too<br>When you're gone  
>The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok<br>I miss you – When You're Gone, Avril Lavigne_

_**Hey Vi,**_

_**I wish you could've heard the way Mum screamed at me and George when we turned up on the doorstep last week. I genuinely think it was one of the biggest rows we've ever had – but she's had no choice but to come around to the idea. I think she and Dad were kind of surprised by how prepared me and George are, and how much money we'd already made. When we told her we already had premises – and on Diagon Alley, no less! – she looked like she was about to faint!**_

_**We've moved into the flat above the shop. I'm really glad your parents said you could stay for the Summer; even if you did lie to make it happen. I think you'll like it – I also think it needs decorating, and who better to help us out with that than you? We're not too bothered with the way it looks right now, we're still testing some new products; it's going to be a while before we open up.**_

_**I wish Umbridge hadn't shut off all the fires. I was going to get a friend to teach me how to do it so we could still speak. I really miss speaking to you. And kissing you. And I actually even miss looking at you, though Merlin knows why (Joking, Vi, I'm joking!). Anyway, I love you. Not long now, right?**_

_**Say hi to Peeves from us.**_

_**Yours,**_

_**Fred**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hey Fred,<strong>_

_**I wish I could have been there too, seeing as I really don't want to be here anymore. Umbridge is annoying me more and more by the day, and wow, does she love giving me detentions! And Ginny too, actually. I don't think this scar is ever going to go away.**_

_**I can't wait for Summer, I can't wait to see the flat, and the shop – and you. I can't believe Papa and Maman fell for it, actually, but then again, I've always been such a good girl that they probably can't imagine me ever lying to them. I'd love to do the decorating – I promise there won't be any pink! Oh well, if it's going to be a while before you open up the shop, you've got more time to spend with me, right? I'm not complaining.**_

_**Ginny keeps quizzing me about why I was back so late that night. I haven't told her, obviously, and I think she knows, she's not stupid – she just wants to embarrass me by making me say it.**_

_**I think about that night a lot. **_

_**I love you, too.**_

_**Yours, **_

_**Viria**_

* * *

><p>Viria was walking along alone when Ginny and Luna crashed into her, seemingly appearing from nowhere. She'd just been coming to find them, actually, after sending off another letter to Fred from the Owlery. She'd spent more time writing letters than she had doing her homework lately, and everyone had commented on it, even the kindly Professor McGonagall – before she'd been taken to St Mungos. Viria knew that McGonagall was in the Order, because Ginny had told her; she also knew that there was barely anyone from the Order left in the school, and it scared her.<p>

"Oh good, Viria, you can help us!" Ginny exclaimed, grabbing the arm of her best friend, "We've not got time to explain, but you need to go down to the other end of this corridor and tell people that someone 's let off a load of Garrotting Gas down here, so they need to find another route. Okay? Good. Now go"

Ginny gave Viria a shove in the small of her back, and Viria turned back, perplexed.

"Ginny, what - ?"

"We haven't got time!" Luna whispered urgently, eyes wide and excited.

"Go!" Ginny hissed, and this time her shove actually hurt. Viria moved down to the other end of the corridor, still puzzled, and tried to ward off the students. Eventually, students stopped coming down the corridor.

She moved back to Ginny and Luna, who were looking relieved.

"Can you please explain?"

"Harry's in Umbridge's office" said Ginny quickly, her voice very low, "Something's happened, something to do with the Order – "

"Something to do with the Order?" Neville appeared, looking just as excited as Luna had done, "What is it, Luna?"

Luna shrugged her narrow shoulders, "We don't know" she replied dreamily.

"Are you sure about that?"

The group jumped in unison, and turned to face four burly looking Slytherins, just as Ron skidded around the corner. He froze.

Warrington, the beefier of the four, managed to grab Ginny and Viria in one go, and started marching them towards Umbridge's office. Ron, Luna and Neville had soon been grasped also, and, despite all their struggling, the Slytherins would not let go.

* * *

><p>"What's she doing?" Viria hissed to Ginny out of the corner of her mouth, frowning at Hermione as she left the room with Harry and Umbridge, "There's no weapon, is there?"<p>

"I always said Hermione was a genius" Ginny replied, awed, "Of course there's not a weapon" she leaned closer to Viria, "We have to get away from them. Ready?"

Viria grinned back, "I thought you'd never ask"

"Three, two, one..."

"STUPEFY!" there was a loud crash as Malfoy and Warrington collapsed backwards into Umbridge's desk, sending her silly little cat plates crashing to the floor. Crabbe and Goyle made to run, but they were just a step too late. Luna and Neville struggled three of them both, and Ginny fired a Bat-Bogey Hex.

"IMPEDIMENTA!" Ron yelled, sending Crabbe flying. Goyle, already being attacked by Ginny's hex, lost his wand to Neville just moments later, and the five of them ran to find Harry and Hermione.

* * *

><p>When they found the pair, both of them looked distinctly dishevelled and were hovering on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Ginny turned to Viria and gripped her hands.<p>

"Viria, we're going to go to the Ministry. With Harry" she whispered, "I need you to do something"

"What do you mean? I'm coming with you" Viria shook Ginny's hands off, "I'm your best friend, why do you always treat me like I'm a child, like I'm an outsider? I'm just as good a witch as you are, and I'm just as against You-Know-Who as you are! I don't see why I should be left behind while you all swan off and fight!"

"Viria, I'm not trying to control you, and I'm not being horrible or anything, and you are my best friend – but someone needs to alert the Order!"

"And how am I going to do that? In case you hadn't noticed, none of them are at Hogwarts anymore!"

"Snape!" Ginny cried, "Snape's in the Order, Viria, and even though we don't like him and Harry did try to alert him earlier, you need to get to him and make sure he understood. You need to tell him where we've all gone, get him to keep the other Professors off our backs, okay? I really need you to do this"

"Why me?" Viria snapped, "Why not Luna or Neville or even you? Why does it have to be me?"

Ginny's brown eyes were more solemn and serious than Viria had ever seen them, "Because if Fred hears that you've gone, he'll go too"

The frown cleared from Viria's face and she stared at her friend for a few minutes. Then, with a gulp, she nodded.

"Okay" she whispered, "Okay, I'll stay. I'll wait with Snape in case there's news" she paused, looking tearfully at Ginny, "You'll be okay, won't you? Everything will be alright?"

"Yes, of course it will" Ginny squeezed Viria in a tight hug, "Just wait until you hear from us. Everything's going to be fine"

* * *

><p>"We've got to go" Molly Weasley said, her eyes wide and panicked. Fred and George put down their knives and forks; they'd come home to the Burrow for dinner.<p>

"Will the whole Order be there?" George asked.

"Yes" Arthur replied tersely, reaching for his coat, "Stay here until we get back. Ron and Ginny have gone"

"Ginny" George breathed, looking anxious; he and Fred secretly adored their baby sister. But it was not Ginny that Fred was thinking of.

"Who else has gone?" he asked, eyes fixed on his mother's harassed face. She shook her head, exasperated.

"I don't know, Fred! All I care about is that my children are there!"

"I'm coming with you" said Fred at once, standing up. Horrifying thoughts had presented themselves. If all her friends had gone, surely Viria would have gone too? Viria, who may be able to produce a Patronus but had never properly duelled in her life? His Viria. Not her.

"What?" Arthur Weasley had his feet in the fireplace when he turned around to look at his sons, "No you're not"

"I have to, Dad. Viria's there" Fred had told his father about Viria, but not yet told his mother; he knew she'd fuss and ask questions and invite her over for dinner, and he thought it would all be a bit much.

Arthur looked at the elder of the twins, ignoring his wife's protest. He knew that Fred loved this girl. And if his Molly had been in danger...he would have gone to the ends of the Earth to save her. He nodded, curtly.

"I'm presuming you're coming too, George?"

"Arthur, what are you suggesting, they're too young – "

"If Fred goes, I go" George agreed, nodding at his twin. For once, Fred did not grin back.


	8. Reunion

**A/N: I'm doing two in one day as an apology! I'm a bit worried about the last chapter, please let me know what you think of both of them! Thanks for reading!**

_When will I see you again? – Don't you remember, Adele_

It was over.

It was over before they even arrived.

Dumbledore was arguing with Fudge. Ginny, Neville, Luna, Ron, Hermione and Harry were in various states of injury. Lupin was holding Harry as he screamed Sirius's name over and over.

Viria had never been there.

"I-told-her...not-to...come" Ginny panted out the words through gritted teeth, holding her ankle while her mother smoothed her fiery hair, "Told her...you'd-be-safe...if she did-n't...come"

Fred stared down at his sister, then looked at George.

"I have to go to her" he said at once, "She'll be going out of her mind with worry. I need to go, now"

"The Floo network has been reopened" Lupin said coolly; he had left Harry crumpled before the veil, for there was no more he could do, "You can get to whoever this person is, if you need to"

Fred looked gratefully at him, "Thanks" he paused, "I'm sorry about – "

"Don't say it" Lupin interrupted, and Fred thought he looked older than ever before.

George looked to his twin, "Shall I come too?"

"It's okay. Stay with the others here – I need to speak to her alone"

George shrugged, the hint of a smirk now present on his face, "I see. Have fun"

Fred made to protest, but decided he didn't have time.

* * *

><p>Viria drummed her fingers across the table in the dimly lit Potions room. Her nails had been chewed down to stubs. Snape had left the room long ago, and she was going crazy. She had to know what was going on. What if these hours of silence meant that something had happened, what if Ginny was dead, her best friend? What if - ?<p>

"Vi!"

Viria spun round in her seat so fast she was surprised she didn't give herself whiplash, "Fred!" she shrieked, and flew into his arms. He held her tightly for a very long time before drawing back.

"I went to the Ministry" he told her quietely. Viria gasped.

"No! But that's why I stayed here, so you'd know I was safe and you wouldn't go! Why did you think - ?"

"No-one told us who was there, I just assumed that you'd gone because Ginny had. For the love of Merlin, you've no idea how glad I am to see you right now"

"Tell me about it" Viria looked up at him anxiously, "What happened, Fred?"

"Well, the good news is, the Ministry now knows that Voldemort has returned. Fudge saw him"

"Oh my goodness! Did you see him?"

"No"

"Well, what's the bad news?"

"Someone died...someone you don't know, but that all of us know very well. A good man"

"I'm sorry" Viria paused, "Who?"

"Sirius Black"

"Sirius Black?" she leaped out of his embrace and stared at him in horror, "You're friends with _Sirius Black_?"

Fred chuckled ruefully, "It's not what you think. He was portrayed...badly"

"He's a mass murderer, I fail to understand how you can associate with a mass murderer!" Viria exclaimed shrilly. Fred pulled her back to him and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Someday I'll tell you all about him. But don't you want to hear what happened to the others first?"

Viria eyed him sceptically before replying slowly, "Yes...go on"

"Ginny's broken her ankle, Neville's broken his nose, Ron was grabbed by some sort of giant squid that practically crushed him to death, Hermione's unconscious, oh, yeah, and so is Luna" Fred reeled off, "And Harry's lost his godfather"

"Oh my God!" Viria cried, "But they're all going to be okay?"

"Yes. In fact, they're probably here and being fixed up by Pomfrey as we speak"

"Good" Viria hesitated, her eyes suddenly widening, "Wait a minute! Did you mean that Sirius Black is Harry Potter's GODFATHER?"

"Oh dear" Fred heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes, "I've given myself a lot of explaining to do, haven't I?"

"Yes, you have" she finally relaxed into him, her head on his chest, "I have missed you so much"

"I've missed you too" Fred kissed her hair, "I'm just glad you're okay"

"Me too" Viria murmured, "Me too"

* * *

><p>"So he came here, to the Hospital Wing, to ask you out?" Viria frowned, laying across Ginny's bed with a pile of Chocolate Frogs between them, "That's not very romantic"<p>

"I've given up on romance" Ginny shrugged, "It's not done me any favours" she looked across to the seat beside Ron's bed which Harry had only recently vacated, an expression of profound sadness on her face.

"So you've dumped Michael Corner?"

"Yes"

"Good. He was a complete _connard_"

"A what?"

"Dickhead"

Ginny snorted with laughter, "Yeah, he was"

Viria bit the legs off of another chocolate, "Did you say yes to Dean?"

"Yes. Luckily he came when Ron was asleep – I'm not in the mood for an inquisition, somehow"

Viria laughed too, "I don't suppose you are. You will be alright to get on the Express tomorrow, won't you?"

"Of course. I'm looking forward to a nice, quiet Summer" Ginny paused, smirking, "Not that your Summer will be very quiet, from what I gather"

"What do you mean?" Viria asked innocently, smiling. Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"I mean the tiny little fact that you're going to stay with my brother – well, brothers – for the Summer"

"Oh, that" Viria blushed, "I was going to tell you – "

"You were just too embarrassed. I get it" she grinned, "I feel sorry for George though, having to share a flat with the two of you for weeks on end"

"Fred said he doesn't mind. I'm looking forward to it, actually" Viria wandered off into a little daydream, thinking of all that she had planned for her Summer with Fred...the boy she had never thought she'd fall in love with. Oh well; sometimes life does take strange turns.

"I bet you are" Ginny grimaced, handing over another chocolate, "One more?"

* * *

><p>Viria jumped off the Hogwarts Express so quickly that she almost ran Neville's toe over with her suitcase. She apologised with a glittering smile, and, leaving Ginny far behind her, ran to where the Weasley family stood.<p>

She did not think about the fact that Fred's mother and father were there; Arthur Weasley was with a couple of other wizards chatting to a rotund and red-faced Muggle some metres away, and Molly Weasley seemed not to have noticed Viria's appearance. George was talking to Angelina; he and Fred were wearing matching dragon skin jackets.

Viria and Fred grinned at each other before she launched herself into his arms, both of them laughing as he held her there, her feet swinging a few inches above the floor.

"You look gorgeous" Fred told her in a low voice, "Uniform suits you"

She laughed and eyed his outfit, "And dragon skin suits you" she pressed her lips to his. When they finally parted and she slid to the ground, they could not take their eyes off of each other.

"You know how excited I am about this Summer?" Fred asked, twinkling at her. She raised her eyebrows.

"Not half as excited as I am"


	9. The Burrow

**A/N: Hey! OMG I have had such a stressful week – coursework deadlines, stupid bitchy teachers, cousin back on chemo, best friend with a major health scare(hope you get better soon, Lecky-Lou!) – So I thought I'd try to alleviate some of that stress and worry by writing another chapter of this! Thank you SO much for those wonderful reviews that totally cheered me up, and please leave some more! Thank you for reading!**

_Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones  
>Turn into something beautiful<br>D'you know? You know I love you so  
>You know I love you so -Yellow, Coldplay<em>

"Surely you must have known you wouldn't get away with it?" Fred laughed, tugging teasingly on Viria's dark curls, "The second Mum saw you and I kissing on the platform she was desperate to meet you properly. Plus, you're Ginny's new best friend! You can't be involved with two of her children and not expect her to want to meet you"

"I'm still not keen" Viria complained. They were on their way to Fred and George's new premises on Diagon Alley after their departure from King's Cross, and Viria had been invited round to the Weasley's tomorrow, with Fred and George.

"Mum likes quizzing people. She might be a bit hard on you at first"

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of..." Viria mumbled, but her voice trailed away as she took in her surroundings. It was the first time she had been to Diagon Alley, a place that her father had frequented as a child, and she was amazed. Everything looked new and exciting, and she was more than a little delighted by the size of Flourish and Blotts. They stopped off for some Fortescue's ice cream, which George assured her was the best in the world before he disappeared off to meet a 'friend' of his.

"She's been working as a waitress in Fortescue's" Fred explained after he had gone, "George's been voluntarily buying us ice cream every day just to go and see her"

They had paused outside the doorway of an empty shop. On the front window hung a large sign that read 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes – Coming soon', and Viria could see the windows of the flat above. She looked excitedly at Fred.

"Well? Come on! I can't wait to see inside" she grabbed the key from it and inserted it into the lock, flinging the door open and running up the stair, holdall clunking against the wall. Fred laughed ruefully as he sprinted up after her; he couldn't deny that her eagerness was infectious.

Viria had halted in the doorway and was looking around her thoughtfully. There was a living room, two bedrooms, a bathroom and what looked to be the smallest kitchen Viria had ever seen.

"It's not much" Fred mumbled, noticing her impassive expression, "You don't have to stay for the summer, it was just an idea – "

"No!" she laughed, and her smile heartened him at once, "Fred, it's fine. And of course I want to stay"

* * *

><p>They sat together on the sofa, eating their ice creams and generally catching up. It felt like their few weeks together had been a million years apart, and there seemed a lot to say. George hadn't returned, and Viria thought that Fred had maybe had a word with him about keeping out of their way for a while. She didn't mind.<p>

When Fred entered the bedroom a few minutes after her (it seemed an unspoken decision between them that they would be sharing a room), he was more than a little disappointed to see that she was wearing a thick towelling dressing gown as she sat brushing her hair. He had expected to...well, to do a little more than sleep, on this, their summer together that had been so carefully planned.

Viria looked up at him with a little smile when he came in, rising from her seat on the edge of the bed. She moved towards him, and Fred began to suspect that he'd been wrong about having no action after all. She rocked forward on her tiptoes to press a light, gentle kiss to his lips. When he started to respond, she dropped the dressing gown to the floor. She was naked underneath.

He jerked away from her, eyeing her in both delight and surprise, and Viria laughed her beautiful ringing laugh in his face.

"You didn't think that I was just going to go to sleep, did you?" she inquired, highly amused.

"Maybe" Fred mumbled, eyes still fixed on her. She grinned.

"Funny enough, I'm not planning on sleeping all summer" she retorted, and kissed him again.

* * *

><p>The next morning, having had no more than an hour of sleep between them, Fred and Viria met George at the Weasley's at midday. He must have Apparated there earlier than them, Viria suspected, but once again, she didn't mind that.<p>

Viria was, however, nervous.

"What if she doesn't like me?" she panicked, holding Fred's hand as they neared the Burrow, "Does your Mum hate people?"

"Everyone hates people, Vi" Fred replied, exasperated, "It's going to be okay! You'll end up being great friends"

"Really?" Viria chewed on her lip, but before she had time to question that view, Fred had pushed open the door to his home.

Viria was amazed by how...cosy the Burrow seemed. Everything was bright, warm and domestic. She could see Mrs Weasley, the woman she was dreading meeting, supervising the chopping of various vegetables and the stirring of a pot on the oven. Viria's own mother had always called herself too 'glamorous' for cooking, so as a result Viria had never really seen household spells being used in this way.

Ginny, George and Ron were laying across the sofas, Ginny reading a magazine while Ron and George played chess. Viria could see that Ginny wasn't actually reading the magazine at all, preferring to watch her brothers in their rather violent game. Mr Weasley was sitting nearby, shaking his head over the _Daily Prophet._

Ginny turned when the door opened and shrieked with delight, "Viria!"

She often got bored in a house full of boys, and having her best friend around; well, it was almost too good to be true, even if it had only been a couple of days.

"Ginny!" Viria was instantly less nervous, especially when Ginny hugged her and whispered, "It's fine, it's going to be fine"

"Freddie!" Mrs Weasley bustled over to them at once and kissed Fred on both cheeks. He was crimson with embarrassment, and still holding Viria's hand.

"Mum!" he squirmed, "I'm not Ron!"

"Oi!" Ron yelled from across the room, half laughing as he launched a shoe at his brother. Viria laughed as she ducked, and this drew Molly's attention to her at once. She smiled warmly.

"Hello, dear! Ginny and Fred have told me ever so much about you" she did exactly the same with Viria as she had with her son, kissing her on both cheeks and giving her a fierce hug, "Lovely to meet you"

"It's l-lovely to meet you too, Mrs Weasley" Viria replied, taken aback. Molly chuckled.

"Oh no, dear, do call me Molly. What's your name again – Viria, isn't it? What a pretty name"

"Thank you" Viria mumbled, at a loss for words. Fred squeezed her hand encouragingly.

"See?" he said, as Molly turned to her husband, "I told you so"

* * *

><p>Later on, Viria had been persuaded to help Molly clean up in the kitchen. She knew from Ginny's warning that this was, in fact, Molly's way of getting to know her alone, but she now felt so comfortable in the Weasley home that she had no nerves left. Leaving Fred and George waltzing to a song on the radio and making everyone laugh, she disappeared with Molly, collecting plates as she went.<p>

"Ginny tells me that you're half-French?" Molly inquired lightly, smiling ruddily all the while. Viria smiled back.

"Yes, I am. My mother is French, and my father English"

"So you went to Beauxbatons?"

"Yes. It's very different to Hogwarts"

"I would imagine it is, with that terrible Umbridge woman on the rampage. Still, that's all over now"

"Yes" Viria paused, "But there's more to worry about now"

Molly fell very silent at this comment, nodding slowly. Viria wondered if they had both had the same vision; of Fred coming face to face with Voldemort, or more likely some other Death Eater, and being tortured or killed. From the expression on Molly's face, she guessed they had.

"He's a good lad, isn't he?" Molly said, changing the subject abruptly, lifting the plates from Viria's arms and into the washing-up bowl with a wave of her wand, "My Fred?"

"The best" Viria replied with a little smile. This produced a beam from Molly.

"Ah, bless. I was around your age when I met my Arthur, you know. I'm probably one of the few parents who believe that young love can last"

"I hope it will" said Viria, blushing slightly, and this earn her a fond pinch on the cheek.

"Oh, it will, dear. He's very fond of you"

"I'm...fond of him, too"

"You really are a dear" Molly smiled as she motioned her back to the living room , where the twins were still dancing, "I think you'll be good for him"


	10. Summer

**A/N: Hey! Sorry it's taken me a while to do this chapter, I had my birthday recently and have been a bit busy, plus a load of coursework deadlines. Anyway, I'm back now – hi! Thank you so much for the reviews, glad you all liked the last chapter, I hope you like this one! Please review! Thank you for reading.**

_The scars of your love, they leave me breathless  
>I can't help feeling<br>We could have it all  
>Rolling in the deep<br>You had my heart inside your hand  
>And you played it, to the beat – Rolling in the deep, Adele.<em>

Viria was amazed by how much she was enjoying her summer.

During the day, while Fred and George experimented with new products and got ready to set up shop, Viria found ways to amuse herself. She visited her parents who, after an eventful meeting with Fred, seemed quite content for her to be staying 'at his parent's house', and were impressed by the idea of him co-owning a business. She painted the living area in the Gryffindor colours, did all her summer homework, visited Luna and Ginny and went shopping in Diagon Alley. But every evening without fail, she and Fred would make time to be together, rarely leaving each other's company until the next morning. She once attempted to teach him to cook snails, which didn't go down well. And the nights they spent together...well. They were certainly better than she could ever have imagined.

"We're going to set up by next week" Fred told Viria with pride. They were in what was soon to be the shop itself, Viria perched on the shiny new counter while Fred tried to work out how to use the till.

"That's good. I can help you out until school starts" Viria watched his bemused expression as he pressed random buttons on the till, a smile on her face.

"D'you think this one is for Galleons, or-?"

"Hey, Fred" she interrupted, leaning towards him from her perch, "I think maybe you could leave the till for a while..."

Fred laughed and gently pushed her away as she tried to kiss him, "Vi, I'm busy!"

"You've got a whole week to do all that!" she retorted, and kissed him firmly. Fred jerked away again, still laughing.

"If George gets back and I haven't mastered how to use this...machine, he might kill me" he chuckled, and turned back to the till.

All was silent for a few moments. Then Viria let out a loud huff of a sigh. He turned around.

She was piercing him with her glittering green eyes, while she unbuttoned her checked shirt. Fred's eyes were instantly and irrevocably drawn to her blue lace bra. He groaned softly, smile long gone.

"Vi – "

She leaned towards him again, speaking with her lips against his, "Can't say no now, can you?"

Fred thought he had never seen anything more beautiful and tempting in his life than Viria, sitting on the countertop in her bra and tiny denim shorts, hair wild and curly about her face, legs swinging. She drew him towards her, wrapping her legs around him where he stood.

"_I _think that George would be more disappointed in you if he found out that you wasted an hour on the till when I'm sitting here in my underwear" she suggested mischievously. Fred gave another low groan and lifted her up from the countertop, her legs still tied around his waist. She giggled in a most un-Viria-like way as he carried her up the stairs, her lips pressed to the spot just below his ear where he liked to be kissed.

"This _is_ going to last forever, isn't it, Fred?" she whispered.

"Of course it is" Fred replied, gripping her tighter to him, "Forever"

* * *

><p>Later on that day, Fred emerged from the bedroom in his underwear, looking ruefully embarrassed when he saw his twin sitting there. He wasn't quite sure <em>why <em>he felt embarrassed; George had seen him in such situations before. But this was different. He'd just made a pact with Viria, despite the fact that he wasn't sure George was entirely happy with the relationship. He'd never done anything without George's approval before.

Fred smoothed his finger s over his ruffled hair, "Nice time with the waitress?"

"I wasn't with the waitress. I was with Angelina" George replied shortly. Fred grinned.

"Good for you! Told you she liked you"

"We're just friends" George replied, waving his wand moodily. A few little sparks showered onto the floor.

Viria peered around the bedroom door, a little smile on her face. She'd put her shorts and shirt back on, and smiled wider upon seeing George.

"Hey!" she greeted him cheerfully, pulling on her sandals, "I was going to get some ice cream. Do you want some?"

George looked coldly at her, "Yeah. Thanks"

Viria was in such a state of bliss that she hardly noticed his iciness. She scooped up some money, but paused in the doorway to look back at Fred.

"Nice look" she taunted, and blew him a kiss on her way out.

George and Fred were left alone.

Fred pulled on some clothes and sat down on the sofa with his brother.

"You going to tell me what's up?" he asked, nudging his twin in the ribs. George did not smile.

"I'm just starting to feel like this flat is more of a love-nest for you and Viria than it is our bachelor pad"

"What? That's ridiculous! It's only for the summer"

"I just never thought you two would get so serious"

"Why would we not? You know how I feel about her"

"It's got completely out of control!"

"What d'you mean?"

"I meant that it was only a _bet_, Fred, it wasn't supposed to turn into a fucking love affair!"

"What does the bet have to do with anything?"

"_She_ was a bet! It was only supposed to last five minutes!"

"What?"

Viria was standing in the doorway, holding three tubs of mint choc-chip ice cream.


	11. Flames

**A/N: Two updates in one day! I'm actually quite proud of myself :D. Please review and thank you so much for reading. Quite a short chapter, but you'll soon see why.**

_But it was not your fault but mine  
>And it was your heart on the line<br>I really fucked it up this time  
>Didn't I, my dear?<br>Didn't I, my dear? – Little Lion Man, Mumford and Sons._

"What?" Viria was standing in the doorway, holding three tubs of mint choc-chip ice cream. She looked beautiful, even in her puzzlement, with her molten gold summer tan, hair now pulled back in a messy bun and little nose splattered with freckles.

George looked between Fred and Viria, still fuming. Viria had her eyes fixed on Fred; when he said nothing, she turned to George.

"Tell me what you mean" she said plaintively, desperation in her eyes, "I don't understand"

If George hadn't been angry, he would never have said it. He would never betray his twin. But he was furious, and Fred saw this.

"George – "he began, but George cut across him, looking at Viria.

"The first day we all met, I made a bet with Fred that he couldn't get you to kiss him. And he decided to take the bet a bit further than I had anticipated"

Viria stayed frozen for a few long minutes. She put the tubs of ice cream slowly on the table and turned to Fred. She was trembling.

"Is that true?" she whispered, "Is all of this based on a – a...bet?"

"No!" Fred cried, moving towards her, "Well, I mean, maybe it was initially, but – "

"So it is true?" she was looking at him in painful bewilderment, not wanting to believe him. George slipped unnoticed from the room.

"Vi, you don't understand"

"Oh, I understand perfectly" her voice was husky, holding back unshed tears, "You saw me and thought that it might be fun to take the inexperienced new girl for a ride – literally _and _metaphorically" she hesitated, "You seriously thought that that was fair? You think that's _okay_?" her voice was rising, "You think it's okay to tell me you love me all for a gamble? For _fun_?"

"No, Vi, I _do_ love you!"

"No, you don't!" she laughed, harsh and bitter, "It was all a lie, a complete lie – God, I can't believe I fell for it!" Only now did she begin to cry, eyes blazing all the while, "I knew it was too good to be true! You _bastard!_" she flew at him in a rage, clawing at his face, screaming; it took him some time to push her away.

"Vi, please, calm down – "

"_Calm down?_ I _slept_ with you! You're my first _love_; you've taken everything from me, and all for a fucking _game_!" she was roaring her words now, voice hoarse. She swirled away from him and stormed towards the bedroom they had shared for the past few weeks. He followed her in a panic.

"What are you doing, Vi? Vi! What are you doing?"

"I'm packing!" Viria snapped, swiping away her tears impatiently. She was scooping up her clothes and flinging them into her Hogwarts trunk. Fred reached out and grabbed her wrist in an attempt to stop her.

"Please, Vi, you're over-reacting"

"_Over-reacting_? For God's sake, Fred, leave me _alone_!" she clamped the trunk shut after shaking him off and pushed past him, dragging her trunk towards the fireplace in the living room.

"You're being dramatic, Vi, please, just put your stuff back" Fred had never thought that he would ever fall to begging a girl, but here he was, practically on his knees at her feet.

"I know I've messed up, Vi, I know I have, but why would I have been with you like this if I didn't love you? Why would I have done that?"

"I don't know, Fred. I don't know anything anymore. I don't know why you would ever bet on someone's heart either, but there you go. Seems I don't know you at all"

"You do know me! What about this whole summer, and all these months we've been together, what about all that? You know me almost as well as George does now, maybe even better. Vi, please"

"You're wrong. You're not who I thought you were. I should have realised when I met you that you weren't ever going to be the sort of person who could take anything seriously. I'm going home!"

She picked up a handful of Floo powder, stepping into the fireplace with her luggage. Tears were streaming down her face again now.

"I thought you said forever" she whispered, choking on a sob.

"Vi, I love you!"

"Yeah, well, I love you too. It's just that you were still playing a trick on me" she disappeared into the green flames.

Fred stared into the smoking embers for a long time before sinking to the floor, knees tucked up and head in his hands. He was too stunned to cry.

How had everything gone so wrong?


	12. Apart

**A/N: Hi! I am very sad. I worked really hard on the last two chapters and I got no reviews. I got loads of story alerts and stuff –thank you so much for those, by the way – but a review would be really nice. Please? It'd make my day. Thank you for reading, anyway, and please do leave a review.**

_But I miss screamin' and fightin'  
>And kissin' in the rain<br>And it's two a.m. and I'm cursin' your name  
>So in love that you acted insane<br>And that's the way I loved you_

_Breakin' down and comin' undone_  
><em>It's a roller-coaster kinda rush<em>  
><em>And I never knew I could feel that much<em>  
><em>And that's the way I loved you – The Way I Loved You, Taylor Swift.<em>

Ten months passed.

Ten very long, very strange, very quiet months.

Viria returned home to her parents the day of the argument, and didn't leave the house for the rest of the summer, despite pleas from Luna and Ginny to come and visit them. She got letters from Fred, too, but she didn't read them. By the end of the summer, he'd given up sending the letters. She didn't get them anymore. Her parents didn't ask too many questions, and when they did, she didn't provide any answers. She returned to Hogwarts on September 1st a little tired, a little worse for wear, but looking perfectly normal on the outside. On the inside, her heart was broken.

The school year was relatively normal, it seemed. Of course, there were Snape's disturbing Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons, and the constant worry about Voldemort, but Viria had a feeling that this was about as normal as it was going to get. She gradually started to talk and smile and laugh again. Ginny and Ron didn't talk about Fred around her, and that suited her just fine. She heard that the shop was a fantastic success, and felt a little pang in her chest. Part of her wanted to see the shop, but the rest of her knew that she never would, now.

She kept an eye out when reading the Prophet, and when Ginny read out her letters from home. She pretended not to, but although she did hate Fred, she still needed him to be alright. People were disappearing every day; that could not happen to Fred.

Just after the Christmas holidays, Neville told Viria that he thought she was beautiful and he really liked her. He blushed when he said it. Viria decided that she may just as well be dating Neville as moping around, but the relationship lasted only a few weeks. She liked Neville, she did, and knew the two of them would remain friends for a long time; but he wasn't Fred. She didn't think any of her future relationships would be as complete as her relationship with Fred had been. But then, she guessed, it hadn't been complete. Lies had been hiding in the shadows, and lies were not good foundations for relationships.

She broke up with Neville, got on with her life, and tried not to think about Fred.

* * *

><p>Ten months passed.<p>

Ten very long, very strange, very lonely months.

Fred forgave George. Their fights never lasted for long, and in his heart of hearts, he knew that George had been right to tell Viria about the bet. It had been unfair of him to keep it from her. Maybe if he had told her himself, from the moment they started dating, things might have turned out differently. But he hadn't done that, and he didn't have her in his life any more.

He tried to get on with it. The shop's success distracted him; he and George couldn't have imagined it in their wildest dreams. And they both loved it, running the shop and making new products. There was a high demand for practical jokes in the current climate.

He tried writing Viria letters, but she didn't reply. He asked Ginny to intercede for him, but she told him it was all his own fault and she'd have nothing to do with it. He wanted to see Viria, but he knew that he couldn't get into Hogwarts now without sending everyone into a panic, and he couldn't just appear on her doorstep in the holidays; her father would kill him.

There was nothing more he could do.

He ignored all other girls, got on with his life, and tried not to think about Viria.

* * *

><p>It seemed as though this would go on forever, and Viria and Fred would never see each other again.<p>

But one night shattered their separation, and not necessarily for the better.

The night the Dark Mark was placed over Hogwarts school.

The first battle.


	13. Battle

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, I'm happy again now! I really hope you like this chapter; please review some more and thanks for reading!**

_Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry  
>You don't know how lovely you are<br>I had to find you, tell you I need you  
>Tell you I set you apart<em>

_Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions_  
><em>Oh, let's go back to the start<em>  
><em>Running in circles, coming up tails<em>  
><em>Heads on a science apart<em>

_Nobody said it was easy_  
><em>It's such a shame for us to part<em>  
><em>Nobody said it was easy<em>  
><em>No one ever said it would be this hard<em>  
><em>Oh, take me back to the start -The Scientist, Coldplay.<em>

"What's going on?" Viria poked her head out of the window and looked up at the Dark Mark, "How did they get here? Ginny, _what the fuck is going on?_"

"I don't know how they've got in here, I just don't know" Ginny poked her head out of the window too, "Come on, we should find the others" she grabbed Viria by the hand and the two of them started running. They weren't quite sure what they were running away from yet – all they knew was that they were both terrified, and they certainly weren't safe, not with Dumbledore _and _Harry gone.

"Ginny" Viria panted, clutching a stitch in her side as they hid around a corner, "Ginny, you don't think Fred's here, do you?"

Ginny knew as well as Viria did that it wasn't the time or the place for this conversation; nevertheless, she smiled.

"I thought you hated him now? You said you didn't give a damn if he was alive or dead"

Viria blushed, "I was angry"

"What, and you're not anymore? You're a real soft touch for him"

"No, I am still angry, of course I am, I'm furious! But...I don't want him to get hurt. That's all. I still hate him"

"Yeah, alright then" Ginny snorted, but she squeezed Viria's hand, "Come on, I think we're clear"

They made to dash around the corner, but were stopped in their tracks by Dolohov. They screamed in unison, and he chuckled, raising his wand.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Viria shrieked, watching with frightened glee as his wand flew out of his hand.

"_Stupefy_!" Ginny cried, sending him flying. But their attack on Dolohov had caught the attention of one of his friends, who was advancing on them with a smirk on his face.

"_Stupefy_!" Ginny cried again, in a chorus with Viria this time. The double effort sent the Death Eater soaring God knows where, and Ginny and Viria grinned at each other.

There was a sudden crash from behind them, and part of the stone wall began to crumble. Neither of them was quite sure how it had happened, but they were separated by the rubble. Viria yelled over the sudden noise, but couldn't hear any reply. She guessed Ginny had gone on to find Ron, Hermione, Luna and Neville without her, and thought that she ought to do the same.

Viria turned and ran back the way she had come, her fingers white from their tight grip on her wand. She wasn't quite sure which way to go, she had no idea where any of the others would be, and she was starting to panic. She wasn't a coward, Viria had never been a coward, but in that moment she felt like one, and in the back of her mind there was a little voice telling her that if Fred wasn't here by now he would be soon, and he might get hurt, and why did she even care?

She hesitated between two corridors, trying to recall where Hermione had said she and Luna would be. If she could only see someone, anyone, that she knew, then all her fear would be gone, she knew it. She'd never been good with being alone.

But she wasn't alone anymore.

Fenrir Greyback stepped out from the shadows, drooling, leering, in full wolf form. She opened her mouth in a silent scream – she knew it was him from his eyes, she'd seen them on the wanted posters. Those eyes had haunted her. Viria wrapped her arms around herself as if for protection, a protection she knew would never come. She'd started to shake.

"_Ex-Expelliarmus_!" she cried feebly, but he didn't have a wand. He made a noise that sounded like a laugh, and lunged towards her. She dashed away, tried to run, but her legs had turned to stone and she found that for the first time in her life she was too scared to move. She knew what Greyback did to people. If he touched her –

"No!" she shrieked, lurching away, but he had grabbed her hair with his teeth and was dragging her towards him, closer, closer, so she could smell the rotten, bloody stench of his breath.

"Let me go!" she demanded, struggling, and felt a sharp stinging pain as he clawed a slow, deliberate scar down the side of her face. She screamed with the pain, she could taste blood in her mouth and it was obscuring her vision too. With the sound of the scream, he clawed at her again, this time through her white blouse, from the top of her shoulder down to her breast, tearing the fabric, so she screamed again. He grazed his teeth against her neck, and she could feel tears on her face mingling with the blood, she was scared, so very scared –

"Don't, please..." she sobbed, "Please!"

He clawed at her again, and by now the pain was so bad, so blinding, that she could no longer tell where these cuts were falling on her skin, she could barely even understand where she was or what was happening, she could barely even scream, and she knew that he was going to bite her, and she would rather die than have that happen...but it hurt so bad that maybe she would die, and everyone would be better off...it wouldn't hurt anymore...anything to stop it hurting...

Dimly, she heard someone scream, "_Stupefy_! _**Stupefy**_!" and felt Greyback move away from her. She could feel the cold, hard stone beneath her, but she couldn't see very well, the blood was too thick in her eyes, she thought it might be Luna's voice but she wasn't sure...

"Viria! Viria, can you hear me? Look at me, Viria, please!"

And everything went black.


	14. Scars

**A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for the reviews, they were greatly appreciated – and thanks for reading! Please review. And be warned, this chapter is rather sad.**

_Old friend, why are you so shy?  
>Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light<em>

_I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited_  
><em>But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it<em>  
><em>I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded<em>  
><em>That for me, it isn't over – Someone like you, Adele.<em>

The debris of the fight lay scattered around the steps to the Astronomy Tower, all that remained of what had been a short yet horrific battle. Mercifully, no-one had died, but there was Bill's injury to contend with, among others, Fred was sure.

He was still looking for Viria. He hadn't seen her at all, and neither had Ginny, who was sat at Bill's bedside. She said they had been separated, and she hadn't been able to find Viria after that. She didn't seem concerned though, pointing out that Viria could look after herself, and was probably with Luna and Neville right at that moment. Fred wasn't so sure. He was starting to panic. If anything had happened to her...

"Are you Fred or George?"

Luna Lovegood had skipped up to him, smiling her vague smile but with a strange shadow in her grey-blue eyes. She was looking up at him inquiringly. Fred, quite frankly, was not in the mood for the oddities of Luna Lovegood.

"I'm Fred, Luna, and if you don't mind, I'm a bit busy right now. I'll see you later, okay?" he made to walk away from her.

"Are you looking for Viria?" her voice rang out, curious and with a slight edge to it that he had not expected. He turned slowly back around. She was no longer smiling.

"Yes. Where is she? Is she with you?"

"I don't think she wants to see you" Luna mused, and all the dreaminess had left her voice. Fred stormed back towards her.

"Luna, I came here for her. You have to tell me where she is. Please"

Luna eyed him warily for a few minutes before speaking. Fred wanted to shake her.

"She's in the hospital wing" Luna revealed at last, looking at him anxiously. Fred momentarily felt almost faint. He could not think, speak, breathe, his chest was tight, he felt a wave of nausea, and when he next looked at Luna he felt empty and looked completely stricken.

"She's...what? What's happened to her, Luna?"

"You'll have to come and see" Luna said at last, holding out a hand as if she knew that he could barely even begin to think about moving.

"You said she didn't want to see me" he replied numbly.

"She doesn't. But I think she needs to"

* * *

><p>Viria was in a private room within the hospital wing, huddled under the duvet in a ball and shaking with sobs. A basin filled with scarlet water and a bloodstained cloth lay on the bedside cabinet. She wanted Ginny, her best friend, but Ginny was with her family, and Luna had gone to find Neville and tell him what had happened. She didn't want to be alone ever again.<p>

Viria did not see Fred enter from under the sheets, but she tensed, and he knew that she knew he was there. The very top of her head could be seen on the pillow, the ebony curls matted and wild, and Fred tentatively moved closer, reaching out to stroke them. He felt her flinch and withdrew his hand.

"Go away" her voice was thick, and he knew she was crying. Luna backed silently from the room, leaving Fred staring down at the trembling, sheet-covered bundle that was his ex-girlfriend.

"Vi, Luna told me what happened. You can show me"

"No!" the hoarse protest came out muffled. This time, Fred was the one who flinched.

"Vi, I still love y-"

"Don't say it!" she screamed, but she still didn't move from under the bedclothes, "Don't say it, Fred, I'm hideous" her sobs were clearly audible by this point. Fred wanted to touch her, to reach out to her and pull her into his arms and hold her close, but he knew she wouldn't let him.

"It can't be all that bad" Fred replied warily. She gave a great, gulping sob.

"He's scarred me all over, Fred! Even my face. He should have killed me"

"Don't say that!" Fred growled, lurching a step closer to the bed. He saw her tense again, "I'll kill Greyback for you, Vi, I swear I will, I'll – "

"Stop" she whispered; now he had to strain to hear her, "He's scarred me, Fred, and they're never going to go away. I'll never look like I did before. No-one will want me now"

"_I _still want you, Vi, you know I do!" he cried urgently.

"_Stop saying that_! You don't want me. You never loved me; it was all a game to you. I loved you and all along I was a gamble, and now I've got nothing left"

"But I _do_ love you, if you'd just let me explain – "

"Please, just go away. I can't do this. Just leave me alone. I don't want to see you again. I don't want to see anyone"

Fred opened his mouth to protest, but he knew that there was nothing left to say. He knew from her tone that she was serious, and she really didn't want to see him again. She would never forgive him. He would never get her back. He hovered in the doorway, wishing he could make her see sense. Wishing he could make her want him.

"Vi..." he just needed to hear himself say it, to hear himself speak her name one more time, knowing that she would never be this close to him again. This time, his eyes were blurred with tears.

"Fred, please don't do this. It hurts too much" she was sobbing louder, her whole body shaking violently, and he still wanted nothing more than to hold her.

"Why are we doing this, then, if it hurts? It's not over, Vi"

"Yes it is" she wept, "That's why it hurts. Because it's over"

There was a long silence. Still, he did not move.

"Goodbye, Fred" she whispered.

"Goodbye, Vi"


	15. Wedding

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, I've been looking forward to this chapter since I started writing the story, so I really hope you enjoy it – please review and let me know what you think! Thank you for reading. I couldn't choose between these two songs, so you get them both!**

_Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room  
>And we're not speaking<br>And I'm dying to know, is it killing you  
>Like it's killing me<br>_

_I don't know what to say since a twist of fate  
>When it all broke down<br>And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now  
><em>

_How'd we end up this way?  
>See me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy<br>And you're doing your best to avoid me_

_I'm starting to think one day I'll tell the story of us_  
><em>How I was losing my mind when I saw you here<em>  
><em>But you held your pride like you should have held me – The Story of Us, Taylor Swift.<em>

_I remember when you lost your head  
>Sometimes I wonder how you stay so sad when you're so beautiful<br>And I remember every word you said  
>How you were scared because you never been somewhere so beautiful, so beautiful<em>

_So tell me why we're talking when we dance so good_  
><em>So tell me why we're talking when we dance so good<em>  
><em>And I know you can't stay but I wish you would<em>  
><em>Yeah I wish you would, I wish you would – Dance so Good, Wakey!Wakey!<em>

* * *

><p>Miss Viria Beauchamp,<p>

Mr Bill Arthur Weasley and Miss Fleur Isabelle Delacour request the pleasure of your company at their forthcoming wedding on:

Saturday 31st July , The Burrow

Please send your replies to the address overleaf.

The Bride and Groom sincerely hope that you will be able to attend.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm actually here" Viria complained, trying to coat the long white scar that ran down the left side of her face with makeup, "I don't want to see him, Ginny"<p>

"Well you've got no choice" Ginny retorted sharply, watching Viria with hidden sympathy, "You came here for me, not for Fred. And if you're so not bothered, why are you still trying to cover up that scar?"

Viria reddened, "Because I look hideous, that's why"

"You don't, Vi" Ginny replied gently, "Not in the slightest. You look beautiful in that dress"

"You don't have to be nice about it. I know I look awful" Viria turned away from the mirror with a sigh, blinking back the tears in her eyes, "I hate looking in the mirror, Gin. I hate it"

"Oh, Vi" Ginny moved towards her and enveloped her best friend in her arms, "Don't say things like that. It's okay, don't cry. Hey, you don't want puffy eyes at the wedding, do you? Come on, now"

"I always cry at weddings anyway" Viria snivelled, but wiped her eyes all the same. She smiled bravely at Ginny.

"You look amazing in that, Ginny. You'll outshine Fleur for sure"

Ginny laughed, "I'd better not! She'd kill me" she hesitated, "But after that kiss with Harry...well, let's just say I want him to see me looking my best"

Viria squeezed her hand, "Oh yes. I understand"

* * *

><p>Viria looked beautiful.<p>

She was standing alone, looking at everyone dancing. Fred had seen her crying at the wedding, but her eyes were dry now; cold, in fact. Her glossy black curls were pulled up in an elegant bun, two pretty ringlets framing her face. A pair of heart-shaped diamond earrings glittered in her ear lobes; she wore an emerald green dress that looked to made of silk, and was low cut and fairly short, swirling around just above her knees. A necklace to match her earrings sat in her cleavage, drawing his eyes to it even more. She wore strappy emerald green shoes with a ribbon around the ankle that raised her a little taller, closer to his height. Just the right height to kiss him. He knew he still loved her and he wasn't over her; and he could see the scars from where he was standing, the one on her cheek, a hint of some on her arms and on her shoulder.

It didn't take Fred very long to make his way over to her. As soon as she saw him, she looked down sulkily, intently studying her shoes. Could she possibly be trying to avoid him?

"You'll grow roots if you stand there sulking for much longer" he offered, with a cheeky grin that hid his sudden wariness around her. Viria scowled as her eyes snapped up to meet his, blazing greenly.

"Ha, ha. I'm dying with laughter" she replied dryly, rolling her eyes, "Shove off, Fred"

"Oh, well that's a nice greeting" he replied, pretending to be annoyed. She looked coldly at him.

"I don't know what you were expecting"

"Come on, Vi. One dance? For old time's sake?"

"No"

"It's a good one, one of the old ones. I'll get to touch you a lot"

"Then no _thank you_!" she retorted sharply. Fred looked into her eyes, trying to see something other than hate in them. She flinched when their eyes locked, and quickly ducked her head again.

"I insist" he insisted, holding out his hand, "We don't have to talk"

She eyed him suspiciously, as though she were expecting some sort of added condition. When he gave none, she reluctantly took his proffered hand.

They moved out to dance, Ginny looking surprised to see them together. Viria kept her lips tightly pressed together to avoid speaking to him, not meeting his eyes. She tried to ignore the feel of his hands on her waist, but when, with another cheeky smile, he moved his hand up towards her breast, her eyes snapped to his at once.

"Now you're just taking liberties" she snapped, and went to spin away from him, but he only held tighter to her waspish waist.

"Don't go" he said gently, urgently, "I'm sorry"

She looked sceptically at him this time, but did not break away. They moved into the next dance without either of them noticing. Her lips were now clamped tighter together and her nose was turned up haughtily. Fred was beginning to grow impatient.

"How are your parents?" he asked at last; he'd liked Viria's mum and dad the one time he had met them. Her eyes met his once again, icy.

"It's been over a year, Vi" he continued beseechingly when she remained silent, "I've missed you"

"_Don't call me that_!" she hissed; it was his name for her, and it made her think too much about what they had had. What she missed.

"But it's me. I've always called you Vi"

"That's exactly why I want you to stop" she paused before continuing angrily, "And you can't have missed me that much. I was only a bet, remember? Just a game. It was all just a game" she blinked rapidly and cast her eyes down again.

"Viria! That isn't true. Just talk to me, for Merlin's sake!" he twirled her round in the dance, admittedly rather viciously, and she glared up at him, dark curls fluttering wildly around her.

"What do you want me to say, Fred? Do you want me to stand here and declare my undying love for you? Because that's not going to-"

"You do love me, then?" Fred's amiable grin had returned. Viria's face flushed, but from anger or embarrassment he couldn't quite tell.

"I never said that" Viria replied, but her voice had lost it's edge.

"You didn't have to" Fred murmured, leaning towards her. She looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

There was a sudden cry and they saw several people pointing at a bright white light. Viria took the excuse to jerk away from Fred and follow their gazes.

"What's that?" she frowned. Fred gave a low grumble of frustration before looking with her.

"I don't – "

Kingsley Shacklebolt's Patronus appeared and spoke in it's deep, usually reassuring voice.

"_Scrimgeour is dead. Ministry has fallen. They are coming" _


	16. Forgiveness is a Virtue

**A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for the reviews, I'm glad you liked the chapter too! Please review this one and thank you very much for reading.**

_We'll be washed and buried one day my girl  
>And the time we were given will be left for the world<br>The flesh that lived and loved will be eaten by plague  
>So let the memories be good for those who stay<em>

_And my head told my heart  
>"Let love grow"<br>But my heart told my head  
>"This time no"<br>Yes, my heart told my head  
>"This time no<br>This time no" – Winter Winds, Mumford and Sons._

The guests were silent for several moments. There was a loud pop as someone Disapparated, and people began to scream. Viria looked up at Fred, her fear betraying the affection she still felt for him. George appeared by their side, looking distinctly rumpled and towing one of Fleur's cousins by the hand.

"What do we do?" he asked his twin, obviously panicked, "What-?"

Several Death Eaters appeared in their midst, and more people Disapparated. Fleur shrieked and grabbed her new husband with a fierce, primal protectiveness. Fred grabbed Viria's wrist.

"Hide, Vi" he ordered, and she could hear the urgency in his voice, see the fear for her in his eyes, "Get under the table or something, I don't know, just _hide_!"

Viria gaped at him for a moment, unmoving, before speaking, "What do you think I am, some sort of coward? Well, I'll show you, Fred Weasley!"

She whipped round and cursed the approaching Death Eater (whom Fred had not even noticed) with the most marvellous Stinging Jinx Fred had ever seen. The Death Eater howled with pain and Viria beamed smugly up at Fred, making him almost speechless.

Curses continued to fly, but not for long. The Death Eaters Disapparated with no-one getting hurt once they failed to find Harry, and Viria looked up at Fred with a glitter in her green eyes.

"I'm obviously more than you thought" she said coldly, and enfolded Ginny into her arms. Ginny had only just moved away from her mother and Viria could see that there were rare tears on her friend's freckled face.

"He's gone" Ginny whispered, as though Fred and George weren't standing beside them, "Harry's gone. Ron and Hermione have gone too. I didn't say good-goodbye"

"You didn't have a chance!" Viria cried in protest, "Gin, he's going to be okay. He's going to be fine"

Ginny looked at her friend with desperate eyes, "How do you know?" she asked thickly, and ran off into the house. Viria did not go after her; Ginny did not like anyone seeing her cry.

George and Fleur's cousin had disappeared again. Around them, member of the Order, the only guests to have stayed to help, helped Mr and Mrs Weasley clean up.

Fred and Viria were alone.

"You're shaking" Fred observed as Viria wrapped her arms around her own trembling body.

"I'm fine"

"No, you're in shock. Come on, come inside" Fred gently guided her towards the house and, once inside, she flopped into a chair and pulled one of the many knitted blankets around her. Fred sat beside her.

"This doesn't change anything" she snapped, "You being all nice to me and 'saving' me and everything. It changes nothing"

"Vi, I wish you'd just let me explain"

"I don't want to hear it. I loved you and you broke my heart, and that's the end of it"

"But you don't know what actually happened"

"I was a bet, and our relationship was a game. That's all I need to know"

"It wasn't like that, Vi, you don't understand"

"I don't want to sit here and listen to your clichés!" she cried, yet she did not move.

"Well it's about time you did. Yes, you were a bet, simply because I saw you and thought that you were beautiful – "

"Stop it, Fred. Now"

"It's true, I did! But then when we did kiss...I knew I wanted a relationship with you. So I told George not to tell you about the bet – "

"You lied to me!"

"I did it because I knew you'd react like this! You always used to moan at me because I wasn't serious enough. Well, now I'm being serious. I fell in love with you, and George felt excluded and angry, and he told you. And you left, but I haven't stopped loving you. I've loved you for what feels like forever and I will not give you up. Okay?"

There was a very long silence while Fred's eyes burned into her downturned face. Viria's hands were shaking as she toyed with loose threads on the blanket.

"You don't love me" she insisted, but her voice had lost all conviction.

"I do. You're just being stubborn now"

"Well, I wouldn't be a very strong woman if I just fell right back into your arms, would I?" her voice was cool again. Fred growled in exasperation.

"You don't have to be strong all the time! And if you're doing this just because of some sort of crazy feminist movement, then – "

"I'm doing this because I'm strong enough to live without you"

"Oh yeah? And what's the point of that when you're unhappy?"

She didn't say anything for a long time. When she looked at Fred again, her eyes were softer.

"I just feel like I can't trust you. Like you're still hiding something from me"

"Never" Fred took her hands in his own, and she looked down as though she had forgotten what that felt like, "Vi, I'm not keeping anything from you. And I never will again, okay? I promise"

She still looked doubtful, even when he leaned towards her. But she did not pull away.

"If you hurt me again, Fred..." she whispered against his lips.

"I told you, I won't. Never again"

Their lips met at last, and although Viria would never admit it, in that moment, she could have cried from happiness. They moved closer; she slid onto his lap and wanted to laugh at how quickly she had surrendered to him, when she had been so determined to push him away! His hands tangled in her hair, she remembered how much he loved her hair, and then his hands moving over her through the silk of her green dress...

"Fred Weasley! You put that poor girl down _this instant_!"


	17. Moonlight

**A/N: Wow, two updates in one day! Be impressed, people, this does not happen often! Please review this chapter and the last if you could pleeeasseee! Thank you. **

_Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight_

_Lead me out on the moonlit floor_

_Lift up your open hand_

_Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance_

_Silver moon's sparkling_

_So kiss me – Kiss me, Sixpence none the richer._

"Why did mum just scream at you?" George asked warily. He looked rather smug, lounged across his bed with a smirk on his face. Fred, who had just entered their old room, guessed he'd got lucky with Fleur's cousin Belle. He was pleased; George had been worried that no girl would ever want him with a missing ear, just like Viria was with her scars.

"She saw me groping Viria" Fred confessed, still looking dazed from their encounter. She'd forgiven him, at last!

George snorted with laughter, "Oops! With Viria's consent, I hope?"

"Of course"

"She's forgiven you, then?" George grinned, eyebrows raised, "Good"

"I'm going to marry her" Fred blurted out. His twin's face grew puzzled and confused.

"You what? Have you completely lost your marbles?"

"I'm deadly serious!"

"You mean you've asked her?"

"Well, no. I don't mean _now_. I mean when all this stuff with Voldemort is over. When it's safe"

"Bloody Hell! I am genuinely concerned. You really want to _marry_ her? You sure you're not just being soppy because of the wedding?" George both looked and sounded more than a little stunned. Fred nodded, suddenly beaming.

"Yeah, I do want to marry her! Why not?" he was laughing by this time, inflamed by the idea. George pulled a face.

"If that's what you want..." he said, rolling his eyes and smirking once again before falling silent.

* * *

><p>Fred knew that she'd be there hoping for him, just as she knew he would. Viria was sitting on the sofa while everyone else slept, wrapped in one of Molly's knitted blankets. She had a little smile on her face, because she couldn't quite believe that she was back with Fred again, so easily, after all this time apart, when so many terrible things had happened, and Voldemort was growing stronger, and the trio were off looking for a way to finish him off...<p>

"Vi?"

She turned around in her seat and smiled, "Hey. I wasn't sure you'd come"

"I had a feeling you might be here" he paused, "How's Ginny? I saw her face when she realised Harry was gone"

"She'd kill me for saying it, but she's not in a good way. She's really upset. She loves him so much – but I think she'd glad I'm not with her, she won't cry as much as she needs to in front of me"

Fred moved to sit next to her, "Sorry about Mum"

Viria laughed, "Why are you saying sorry? She was on my side!"

Fred laughed too, "Yeah, I guess she was. It's kind of unfair"

"She thought you were taking advantage" Viria edged closer.

"Maybe I was"

"Then maybe it was right for her to yell at you"

"Maybe" Fred leaned towards her and traced the long white scar that ran down the length of her left cheek. She shivered, and looked away from him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to save you" Fred said softly, and leaned in to kiss her. As usual with them, the kiss grew heated. Viria was soon on his lap as she had been earlier, her long dark hair tickling his cheek, still wearing the green dress, and his hand sliding up her thigh underneath the shimmering material. Viria pulled away.

"Look, Fred, before we...I need to tell you something"

"Go on" Fred was still kissing her neck as she spoke; the blanket had long since fallen away. She pushed him off gently and looked deeply at him with her piercing jade eyes.

"There are more of them" she whispered, her eyes suddenly fearful. Fred frowned.

"More of what?"

"The scars" she replied, gulping, "I just...I think I should warn you"

Fred was suddenly fearful too. How bad were these scars? What exactly had Greyback _done_?

"Show me" he demanded. She threw an anxious glance at him before rising from her seat and slipping slowly, reluctantly, out of her clothes. The green dress fell with a silent slither to the floor, followed by her remaining clothing. Fred rose also, staring at her in the moonlight. She was as beautiful as he remembered, but with the horrific scars as additions.

The longest scar started at the top of her creamy white shoulder, travelling down across her breast to her pink nipple. There was another scar, this one redder and more jagged than the others, on her forearm. But the worst of all was the collection of scars on her stomach, close to her navel and spreading to the top of her thigh.

They had been silent for a long time when Viria spoke.

"I understand" she whispered, and as he looked at her face he noticed that it was slick and shiny with tears that were still tumbling, "I understand if you don't want me anymore. I look disgusting"

"No!" Fred protested, going to her to cup her face in his hands, wiping the tears away, "No, Viria, don't you ever say that again!"

"But it's true!" she sobbed, "I'm hideous"

"You're beautiful"

"For Merlin's sake, Fred, don't lie to me again!"

"I'm not lying! I love you, and to me you are beautiful"

She snivelled pathetically, wanting to believe him. She looked up at him from under glittering eyelashes, "Really?"

"Yes" he replied firmly, drawing her back to the sofa, "Really"

As they lay there in the moonlight in a house full of people, Fred traced every scar with the tips of his fingers, then with his lips, drying Viria's tears and making her gasp with a fierce, burning longing. They kissed endlessly, kisses of two people who have missed each other for a very long time. And when they came together again after a year of miserable separation, Viria began to wonder why she'd ever given this up over a stupid bet.


	18. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

**A/N: Hey! Sorry it's been a while, I have once again been very stressed out lately, and still am, if I'm honest, so I'm trying to chill out by writing a chapter. Thank you so much for the reviews, they are much appreciated! Please review and thank you for reading.**

_And I've always lived like this_

_Keeping a comfortable distance_

_And up until now I had sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness_

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk_

___But you are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception – The Only Exception, Paramore._

Viria returned to her parent's house the next day, told them she was back with Fred (her mother was delighted and her father furious), and told them she would be staying at the Burrow for the remainder of the summer (once again, her mother was delighted and her father furious). But Viria didn't much care, if she was honest. Molly had tearfully told her she'd be happy to have her; but then, Molly had been tearful about everything since the departure of her youngest son, Harry and Hermione. Ginny was pretty tearful too, and Viria was glad to be around to help them. Fred was certainly glad to have her around. They had missed each other so much, and hadn't fully realised it until they were back together again. They had a lot to catch up on.

"I can't believe you dated Neville" Fred grumbled. They were lying under the fading summer sun, beneath a crab-apple tree that was still draped with a few gold streamers. Fred was toying with her hair, and she was curled up against his side as though asleep, her eyes heavy in the yellow light.

"You weren't around" Viria responded, laughing, "And he really liked me, he was so sweet to me"

"Why did you dump him, then?" Fred asked jealously. Viria rolled onto her belly so she could look at him, unintentionally giving him a rather interesting view down her strappy top.

"He wasn't you" she replied softly, and there was a hint of a blush on her cheeks. Fred grinned.

"Should I be smug?"

"No!" she cried, swatting at him as though he were a troublesome fly, "You're such a prat"

"You've been spending too much time with Ginny. You're vocabulary is far too full of English insults"

"I only seem to use them on you. Strange, that, isn't it?" she was grinning back by this time, and as he had no answer to that, they lapsed into comfortable silence, her eyes still fixed on him.

"Vi..." he looked uncomfortable, and she had a feeling she knew what he was going to ask, "Did you and Neville...I mean...did the two of you...y'know..."

"No" she answered sternly, "Of course not. It's only been you. I mean, we kissed, but that was it, I swear. And as much as I like Neville, it was nothing like kissing you"

"That's because he wasn't meant for you, and I am"

"Don't be such a soppy git" she scolded, but she was smiling.

"I'm serious! Hey, wait a minute - you haven't seen the shop yet, have you? I've left George manning it for a whole week to spend some time with you – maybe the two of us could take care of next week?"

"Seriously? Like going into business?"

"Yeah, if you like. George could come and stay here and we could have the flat for a week, too"

"Really? You're not joking?"

"Course not. We'd have a great time...and actually get to spend some proper time...alone" she saw his eyes dart towards the house to make sure no-one was watching them before he kissed her neck. She sighed softly and moved closer to him, her lips meeting his.

"I do always feel like we're being watched" she confessed at last, "Ginny keeps giving me evils as well. I think we creep her out a bit"

"We probably do" Fred smiled at her, "So, what do you say?"

* * *

><p>Viria was categorically certain that Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was the most fantastic place she had ever seen in her life.<p>

While the rest of Diagon Alley was dark and dull, full of doom and gloom, WWW stood out like a sore thumb. At least, a very colourful sore thumb. Everything in there was bright and loud and spectacular, with some of the most amazing magic Viria had ever seen.

"How did you come up with this stuff?" Viria cried, racing round and picking up everything in sight. It was a Sunday, the only day the shop was closed, and they had come so that they'd have time to settle in before working together for the week.

"Ten second pimple vanisher!" she exclaimed, "Ten seconds! I'll have some of that!"

"You? You're too lovely to ever have pimples" Fred replied sweetly, kissing her cheek. But Viria paid no attention to him, continuing to run around the shop exclaiming over the amazingness of everything. When she finally stopped, it was at the doorway that led to the upstairs flat. She was looking at it with a strange expression on her face.

"What's up?" Fred asked, going over to her. She turned back to face him, smiling her glittering smile.

"Nothing. Nothing at all" she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him, "I was just wondering if you thought it was too early to go to bed"

"I picked you well, didn't I?" Fred grinned, "A girl who wants to go to bed at...one in the afternoon. Who can get better than that?"

She grinned too, "Not many people, I'll warrant. It's just a shame we'll still have to open up the shop – I can think of so many fun things we can do"

"The shop closes at five" Fred reminded her, "We'll have all night"

"Oh good" she responded, "Because I've got plans"

* * *

><p>They worked in the shop for the next month, rather than the next two weeks, until the night before it was time for Viria to return to Hogwarts. They lay in bed together that night, Viria curled around Fred with her head on his chest. Fred had a plan forming in his head for the next day, and he wanted tonight to be perfect so that she wouldn't refuse him when he asked her.<p>

"How about I quit Hogwarts and stay with you? I passed all my OWLs" she'd gotten Outstandings in everything but Herbology, and even that had been an Exceeds Expectations, "We can live here for a while. I don't want to leave and not see you for months"

"It's only until Christmas" said Fred encouragingly, "But I'm going to miss you too"

She kissed from his chest up to the hollow at the base of his throat, "I'm going to miss this"

"Tell me about it" Fred kissed the top of her head, "But we'll get through it, Vi, and once all this is over, we'll come out the other side"

"Yeah" Viria agreed, "Yeah, of course we will"


	19. Train

**A/N: I'm very sad because I have no reviews, but that may be my own fault considering I'm updating the very next day! All the same, please leave some for this (and the last chapter if you can) because I really need to know what your opinion is on what's about to happen in this chapter! I really hope you like it, please give me your thoughts! Thank you for reading.**

_He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring  
>And said, marry me Juliet<br>You'll never have to be alone  
>I love you and that's all I really know<br>I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress  
>It's a love story baby just say yes – Love Story, Taylor Swift.(Totally giving you a hint here)<em>

Viria and Fred stood on the platform with their hands clasped, watching the subdued bustle of pupils clambering onto the train. They had five minutes before the train was due to leave; a five minutes that they were planning to savour.

"Looks like I'm never going to have a normal year at Hogwarts" Viria observed dryly, "It's a shame, really"

"You'll have a normal year next year" Fred replied comfortingly, "When this is all over"

"Will it be over by next year, though?" Viria asked with a sigh, "Who's to say that we won't have to worry about You-Know-Who by next year? Even in ten years? How can we predict that?"

Fred squeezed her hand, "Well, that's where our little Golden Trio have gone now, isn't it? Off on a mission to destroy Him"

"I guess" Viria fell silent for a few moments, "You really believe that they can do it? That they've got a plan?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do" Fred's eyes darted towards the clock, "Look, Vi – "

"Last call for luggage! Get your trunks on the train!"

Viria's eyes snapped up at the sound of the stationmaster's voice. She smiled at Fred.

"I'd better go. Ginny's got my trunk on there, but I'd best be off – "

"No, wait a minute. I need to ask you something"

Viria laughed, "Fred, I really have to be going – "

"Two minutes till departure! Two minutes!"

Fred grabbed her hand, "But it's going to be ages before I see you again, and this is important!"

Viria sparkled at him mischievously and started pelting towards the train doors, him still holding on to her hand. She jumped up onto the train and stood there, laughing at his earnest, breathless expression.

"What is it?" she asked, highly amused. Fred spoke solemnly.

"I wanted to ask you if – when all this is over – if you would..."

"One minute!"

"Hurry _up_, Fred!" she shrieked, beaming.

"If you would want to marry me! When this is over"

Viria spluttered, hovering somewhere between a laugh, an exclamation and a sob. The train started to move and Fred slammed the door shut to stop her from falling. Her head stuck out of the window, looking stunned.

"I – "

"Answer me!" Fred yelled urgently over the noise of the train.

"Yes!" Viria screamed over the noise, smiling from ear to ear, "Yes, of course I will! Yes!"

Fred froze on the platform as the train chugged away, Viria waving madly at him until she disappeared into the distance. Only once the train had left the station did he allow himself to smile. The smile grew until it became a huge grin.

George appeared beside him, and also stood looking after the train. He clapped his twin brother on the back.

"I do believe you just asked Viria to marry you" he observed wryly.

Fred looked warily at him, "Yes..."

"Good for you, pal. Good for you" another clap on the back, "Except...someone else may also have heard you" George was now smirking.

Fred's eyes widened in horror, "Oh no. Not – "

"Freddie! Oh, Freddie, darling! Oh, I can't believe you're getting _married_! And Viria's a lovely girl – oh, I wish your father were here, I can't wait to tell him – "

Fred struggled out of his mother's grasp, pink with embarrassment, "Mum, leave off! We're not even properly engaged, we're not getting married until You-Know-Who is gone, okay, and that could be years from now, so _calm down_!"

Molly Weasley and George struggled to keep up with Fred as he stomped out of the station. When they finally caught up and Molly linked his arm, Fred didn't have the heart to push her off; it seemed forever since he had last seen her smile.

"She is a lovely girl though, dear. A sweet thing"

Fred snorted, "Sweet? Not my Viria"

"Well, that's one of the things I wanted to ask you, actually" Molly cosied up to her son, George looking curious the other side of her, ready for gossip that she had so obviously been craving, "As Viria is going to be my daughter-in-law one day, I need to know everything about her, and I've been wondering about this a lot"

"What?" Fred asked, wary again.

"Viria was scarred by Greyback, wasn't she, poor dear?"

"Yes..."

"And so was Bill"

"Well, yeah, Mum" George, too, looked puzzled by this train of thought.

"Well, I wondered; does Viria have any...wolfish tendencies? Like Bill and rare meat" her face was bright with curiosity. Fred reddened again.

"Mum! I'm not telling you that!"

"Why not, Freddie? It's a perfectly natural question!"

"No!"

"Oh, go on Fred, tell us" George was grinning wickedly; he could sense that this was a juicy piece of information.

Fred turned a deeper shade of crimson, "Really, I don't want to"

"Please?" Molly pressed. She, too, realised that the topic was sensitive.

Fred winced as he spoke, "She has...in some departments"

George burst into gales of hysterical laughter. Molly looked shocked for a moment, but seconds later, she was howling with laughter too, doubled over.

Fred glared at them both before marching off, still scarlet.


	20. Luna

**A/N: Sorry it's been a little while, thank you so much for the reviews, I'm glad you liked the chapter! Please review again and thank you for reading**

**_And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't  
>So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road<br>And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope  
>It's a shot in the dark and right at my throat<br>Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me  
>Looking for heaven, found the devil in me<br>Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me – Shake it out, Florence + the Machine_**

_Dear Maman and Papa,_

_I'd like to be able to tell you all about this face to face, but I'd have to wait until Christmas, and that just seems much too far away for what I have to tell you!_

_Fred and I are engaged!_

_There's no easy way to say it when I don't know what your reaction will be, or what you will think of me – though Papa, I know you, and I know that I should clarify that I AM NOT PREGANT, okay? There, you can rest easy now. I'm really happy, and Fred is too - we've agreed that we'll only get married when all of...this, is over. So you've got a while to get your heads around it. He didn't get to give me a ring, the proposal was kind of spontaneous, but I have got big expectations for my Christmas present from him! We shall have to wait and see..._

_I really hope you're both well. As you may have guessed, I can't say some of the things I want to say, but I do really hope you're well. I can say that. I can't wait to see you at Christmas! Love you both loads._

_Viria xxxxxxx_

_P.S – Sorry, Maman. I know you would have preferred a letter in flawless French._

* * *

><p>This was Viria's worst time at Hogwarts yet.<p>

Everything they did was strictly controlled. Letters were being checked before they were allowed to be sent, and before they were received – Viria and Fred were forced to develop a code if they wanted to talk about the 'Undesirable Number 1' posters plastered with Harry's face, or the rumour that he, Ron and Hermione had broken into the Ministry of Magic and freed the Muggle borns up for trial. Viria tried not to let her worry come through in her letters, but she was sure Fred must be able to sense it.

They had two new teachers, the Carrows, one of whom took them for the now compulsory Muggle Studies and the other who took them for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Not that it was anything to do with defending anymore; more like practising on poor, innocent students. Viria, Neville, Ginny and Luna had received any number of detentions for refusing to take part in these vile acts, or 'accidentally' cursing the teacher rather than the students. But something told them that the detentions were the Carrows' way of holding back – Viria got the sense that they wanted to do much more. They were all pretty certain that, by the New Year after the Christmas holidays, things would be a whole lot scarier.

It seemed to take forever for the Christmas holidays to come. When they did, the four of them near ran onto the train, desperate to be somewhere they felt safe, with the people they loved.

"Your Dad's amazing, Luna" Viria complimented, leafing through the copy of the Quibbler that Luna had lent her and trying to ignore the fact that despite their agreement to be friends, Neville was staring at her from the opposite seat, "To do all this stuff for the cause; it's such a risk, but it never stops him"

"Daddy might be a little mad, but he's very brave" Luna responded airily, taking back the magazine and beginning to read carefully. Viria and Ginny sat at either end of the seat, their feet touching, talking eagerly about going home.

"It was so nice of your Mum to say that we can all stay for Christmas, I really appreciate it!"

"You are soon to be her daughter-in law" Ginny pointed out, "So she feels she needs to get to know you a lot better, and your parents. Plus she knew that you and Fred wouldn't want to be apart for Christmas"

"That's true" Viria agreed. Neville was reading, but Viria could see his thoughts were elsewhere, and not even directed at her. She wondered what he was thinking about.

"I'm starving" Ginny moaned as he stomach growled, "How did we manage to miss the sweet trolley?"

"Actually, I don't know" Viria frowned, "She's always been around by now. Maybe she missed our compartment by accident"

"Yeah, maybe" Ginny agreed, rising from her seat and stretching, "Want to go and find her?"

"I think we'd better" Viria nodded as her stomach gurgled, and the two of them slipped out of the compartment. Usually people were running up and down the train carriages, bursting into each other's compartments, either for a wind up or just for a chat. There was none of that that day, the corridors eerily silent. Ginny and Viria drew a little closer together.

"It's weird. Where's everyone?" Ginny frowned. They'd moved pretty far from their compartment now, otherwise Viria felt sure she would have turned around and run straight back. The train jerked suddenly to a halt, and both girls shrieked with the unexpectedness of it all. They grabbed at each other to keep upright, and looked around them. People were peeking out of their compartments, looking puzzled.

"What's going on?" Lavender Brown asked Ginny warily, looking between the two of them. Ginny shook her head, flaming hair swirling around her face.

"I don't know" she admitted. Everyone stayed quiet for a few minutes, straining their ears, listening. Then there was a scream.

Viria grabbed Ginny's arm so hard that her fingers dug into the pale flesh, "Luna! That was Luna!"

They both started running back the way they had come. Viria had never run so fast in her life; her heart was thudding, head spinning, each breath burning her throat. Their feet pounded on the floor.

The train suddenly jerked into motion again, and the suddenness of it made them both fall over, tumbling to the ground. There was no time to speak, to check if the other was alright; both of them were running again. They skidded to a halt when they reached their compartment.

Neville was unconscious on the floor, one eye blackened and bruised. Viria shrieked and knelt down next to him, shaking him forcefully, "Neville! Neville, wake up!"

"Where's Luna?" Ginny panicked, "Viria, what's happened to her?"

Viria shook Neville more fiercely, and his eyes opened. She had thought it might get his hopes up seeing her leaning over him looking concerned, but he only looked haunted and terrified.

"Are they gone?" he asked anxiously, "Please tell me they haven't taken her"

"Death Eaters?" Viria asked in a hushed voice. Neville nodded.

"Yes. They've taken Luna"


	21. Christmas

**A/N: Hey! It's not been so long this time...but I got no reviews for the last chapter, so am once again very depressed. And I've had a crap day – a crap week, in fact – so they would be much appreciated today. I feel like I moan all the time in my AN's. Sorry if you feel like that too. Please review and thank you for reading!**

_When we finally kiss goodnight  
>How I hate going out in the storm<br>But as long as you hold me tight  
>Oh, all the way home I'll be warm<em>

_The fire is slowly dying_  
><em>But my dear we're still goodbye-ing<em>  
><em>And as long as you love me so<em>  
><em>Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow – Let it Snow, Dean Martin.<em>

They cried all the way to King's Cross. Both Ginny and Viria felt pathetic for doing so, but they were scared, and they didn't know what to do without Luna. Neville had worked out from the few words the Death Eaters had spoken that it was due to Xenophilius' writings in the Quibbler that they had taken Luna; they wanted to punish him for  
>his good intentions.<p>

"How do you think he's going to get her back?" Viria asked anxiously, snivelling. They were just pulling into the station, and she didn't want Fred to see her upset, though she'd doubtless cry again when it came to telling him what had just happened.

"He'll have to stop writing" Ginny replied, "Which is terrible, because it was doing everyone a lot of good. Including him; people were just beginning to take the Quibbler seriously. And I always thought that if – if Harry ever happened to see it – " she stifled another sob, " – Then he would realise that there's people fighting for him, people still on his side"

"I don't think that'll be enough" Neville cut in. He had not cried, but he had a haunted, determined look in his eyes, "Xenophilius is going to have to pull something big out of the bag to get Luna free of them. She's brave, though. Tough. She'll be alright"

"And if she's not?" Viria retorted tearfully, swiping her eyes impatiently, "What happens then?"

"We think about that we it comes to it" Neville replied, and Viria knew that he wanted, more than anything, to give her a hug. Instead, she kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, Neville. You've been amazing this term, when we all wanted to run away. You really helped us"

"You helped me, too" Neville replied. He and Ginny said their goodbyes, also, and Viria and Ginny near ran off the train, trunks clunking behind them.

As soon as Viria saw Fred, the heavy weight lodged in her chest lifted. She felt calm, she felt…relief. He grinned, too, when he saw her, and she ran to him, pushing through throngs of people and flinging her arms around him. But as soon as his arms came around her, too, her tears began to flow again, and she started to cry. Fred  
>tensed and held her tighter.<p>

"Hey! Hey, Vi? What's happened, what's wrong? Don't cry" he traced soothing circles on her back, and she looked up at him, tears hanging like crystals on her eyelashes, "Vi? Tell me"

"It's Luna" she sniffled, wiping her eyes and nose on her sleeve, upset even more that Fred had seen her so miserable, "The Death Eaters, they – they stopped the train, because of what Luna's father had – had been writing. And they took her"

"Took Luna?" Fred exclaimed, "Just kidnapped her off the train?"

"Yes, while me and Ginny had gone to find the sweet trolley…and when we came back, Neville was there and Luna had been…she was gone" she gulped back another round of tears, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to cry like this. I was going to wait until we got home to tell you, I haven't seen you for four months, and here I am crying like a baby – "

"It's okay" Fred said gently, darting a glance towards Ginny, who was telling her mother what had happened, without tears but with a shrill, hysterical edge to her voice, "You okay now?"

"Mhm" she nodded pathetically, and Fred squeezed her in a fierce hug, kissing the remaining tears from her cheeks.

"Come on" he said kindly, drawing her towards Ginny and Molly, "It's Christmas. You've got to stop worrying about it, okay? Luna will be fine. She may not seem it, but she's a tough cookie"

"That's what Neville said" she mumbled, still downcast.

"Exactly" he replied, "And he's right. So just be calm, come home, and get ready to try and enjoy Christmas. We're going to be without a lot of people this year, but that doesn't change anything, okay? Your parents are coming, remember? Our first Christmas with both our families"

Viria smiled up at him, squaring her shoulders, "Yeah, you're right. Okay"

* * *

><p>"I've been getting to know your parents the last few days, Viria" Molly spoke gently, as if wary of setting Viria off all over again. They had Apparated to the little hill closest to the Burrow, Ginny holding on to her mother and Viria onto Fred, and were almost there. Viria felt like she was truly coming home at last. It was odd that the Burrow felt more like home to her than her real home. Maybe it was because she knew her parents were there now.<p>

"I didn't think they were coming that early?" Viria queried, surprised. Molly smiled fondly.

"Well I thought I ought to invite them to come a little earlier, to get to know them before you all got back. We've been getting on ever so well – I see now why you're such a lovely girl, dear"

Viria smiled back, "Thanks, Mrs Weasley"

"_Molly_" Molly corrected sternly, "And that's quite alright. This Christmas is going to be very different in lots of ways"

Viria and Fred exchanged a glance, thinking about how terrifying the idea of Christmas must be when one of your children was somewhere completely unknown.

Before Viria could offer up some sort of comforting comment, there was a loud shriek from inside the house and her mother appeared, wearing a pink frilly apron (she had obviously felt like she should help out around the house as she was staying for Christmas) and waving her arms about like an overexcited child. Viria couldn't imagine two mothers more different from Molly and her own mother, Giselle.

Viria hugged her mother in return; slightly tense as she felt the perfumed arms tighten around her. She had never had an easy relationship with her mother, who had never really seemed to particularly approve of her daughter. She was much more of a daddy's girl.

"Maman!" she squirmed, wriggling out of her mother's grasp, "Maman, let go!"

Giselle let go of her daughter and beamed, "You do look well! Ah, my darling, we were so pleased to hear your news! And Fred has been most _charmant_, closing his _petite_ shop to spend time with us the past few days"

Viria had always hated the way her mother intermingled French words with English ones, but they hadn't seen each other for months and she didn't think now was the right time to bring it up.

"I'm glad you've all been getting on" she said instead, looking over her mother's shoulder and beaming when her Papa, Frank, appeared from within the house, nattering to Arthur. The two men looked to be getting on well, much to her relief.

"Papa!" she cried, running towards him like a child. Frank squeezed her tightly, and kissed her on both cheeks.

"You look older everytime I see you" he scolded, "I can't believe you're getting engaged. Though he's a lovely lad, I must say. And with a good, sturdy job – "

"Yes, Papa, I'm glad you like Fred" she rolled her eyes, "Are you not going to tell me that you missed me?"

"Um...no. To tell you the truth, the house was much quieter" he teased, and she hugged him again.

"Glad to have you here for Christmas, Papa" she mumbled into his jumper.

"I'm glad to have you too, flower"

* * *

><p>"Wake up! Wake up! Fred, if you don't wake up I swear I will sit on your HEAD!" Viria whacked Fred over the head with a pillow, leaning over him in her pyjamas and dressing gown.<p>

"Okay, okay! Merlin's sake, woman, will you get off?" Fred pushed the pillow away, but Viria was rather enjoying herself by this point, and didn't much seem to want to stop hitting him with it. He managed to grab it and throw it to one side, pulling her on top of him instead. She grinned and kissed him.

"Merry Christmas" she whispered, "Everyone else is awake. Me and Ginny have already swapped presents, but I couldn't bring myself to wake you. You're so quiet and serious when you're asleep"

"You're far too sentimental" Fred smiled, "But merry Christmas. What did Ginny buy you?"

"An absolutely gorgeous dress. I'll be wearing it for dinner, so you'll see it later. Oh, and I have to warn you...I wasn't sure what to get you, so I have bought you something, but you'll be getting part of your present tonight. When we're alone"

"Oh?" Fred raised his eyebrows, "I'm looking forward to that"

"I should hope you are. Come on, I've still got presents to open!"

* * *

><p>Fred looked over at Viria, who was sitting in the red dress that Ginny had bought her, looking absolutely stunning. She, Ginny, Arthur and Frank were sitting together, playing exploding snap and laughing uproariously. Viria had been knitted her first Weasley jumper, and was so overwhelmed upon opening it that she almost knocked Molly over with her hug. She was holding it now, like a cushion, cuddling it to keep her warm.<p>

"Shall I do it now?" Fred asked George, who was admiring his twin's new Nimbus, the latest model and a present from Viria.

George reluctantly drew his gaze away from the Nimbus and looked around them, "Yeah, you could" he agreed, "No-one's doing anything much"

Giselle and Molly were still sitting at the dining table, playing some sort of board game and talking as they did so. Their friendship had been surprising for everyone.

Fred made his way over to Viria, clearing his throat as he went. Ginny and George both knew what he was planning and fell silent at once, hinting to the others to follow. Viria looked puzzled.

"Have you all gone quiet so you can listen to our conversation? Because that's just rude"

Fred wasn't the only one who laughed, "They've gone quiet so they can see what I've gotten you for Christmas"

Her face turned a pretty, blossoming shade of pink. Her eyes lit up.

"Ooh" she murmured, leaping up from her seat to stand in front of him, smoothing out her skirt, "Oh, what is it? Is it what I think it is? Is it – "

Fred put his finger to her lips, smiling, "Don't guess. If you do I won't give it to you"

Viria fell silent at once, nodding eagerly.

Fred got down on one knee.

Viria gave a badly suppressed squeak of excitement, and Fred raised an eyebrow. She went quiet again, but her bubbling excitement was tangible.

"So, everyone knows that we're already engaged. But I know how much you like romance, and how you like things done properly – "

"Yes, I do" Viria burst out with a vigorous nod. At another stern look, she fell silent again, and heard Ginny laugh. She was almost jumping up and down.

"So I thought I really ought to propose to you properly. And there's a lot of stuff I want to say to you, all of it cheesy and sickly sweet – but I'll save it for later, because we know George and Ginny will only ruin the moment with vomiting noises or some other childish nonsense"

Ginny started to protest, but Viria glared at her so ferociously, eager for Fred to continue, that she thought better of it.

"All I can really say is that I love you, Vi, and I always will do. So I want to ask you, properly, this time – Viria Beauchamp, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Viria shrieked as Fred produced a small velvet box and opened it to reveal an emerald ring that glimmered and glowed on a slender gold band, "Yes, yes, yes! Of course I will! Oh my God, Fred, it's beautiful!"

Fred grinned and kissed her hand before slipping the ring onto her finger, "It matches your eyes"

Everyone in the room burst into a round of applause, and when Viria looked round she saw that both her mother and Molly were crying. She threw her arms around Fred and held onto him for a long time.

"I love you so much" she whispered thickly, tears rolling down her cheeks, "And I can't _wait_ to marry you"

* * *

><p>That night, Viria had told Fred to meet her in a small spare room, up near the attic, a tiny room that was never used and had no furniture in it. He wasn't quite sure why, seeing as everyone had seemed fine with them having a shared room of their own, but he could only imagine that she had something special planned, and wanted some privacy.<p>

The room, always a dingy and cold place, had been somehow transformed. The windowsill and the only piece of furniture, a low wooden cabinet, were lined with candles, scented with vanilla and flying an orange flame. Viria had made up a bed for them on the floor with what looked like a pile of duvets, a patchwork blanket cosily on top.

And Viria herself was laying across this bed, looking thoroughly bored from waiting for him, but completely beautiful. In the candlelight the ring sparkled more than ever, and her hair looked even shinier, like silk. She was wearing a sort of corset, of emerald green silk and black lace, paired with sheer black stockings with emerald green bows on the top. Fred decided it best not to ask where she'd purchased an outfit like that.

When she became aware of him there she looked up, cat-like, from under thick eyelashes, a smile playing on her lips.

"Merry Christmas"


	22. Xenophilius

A/N: Sorry it's been a while! Thank you so much for the reviews, they were very much appreciated, and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Please review and thank you for reading.

_**I love you  
>I love you<br>I can't explain, the feeling's plain to me, so can't you see?  
>Ah, she gave me more, she gave it all to me, now can't you see? – Silly Love Songs (I'm thinking the Glee version, but I know Paul McCartney did it as well, so...just think of whatever one you like, I guess)<strong>_

Ginny and Viria made the decision to go and visit Luna's father, Xenophilius, a few days after Christmas. Viria insisted that he might have heard something, just so that they could reassure themselves that Luna was safe; Ginny was worried he might not have heard anything at all, and had spent all the Christmas break worrying about where his daughter could possibly be. Either way, they needed to go and see him.

They went while Fred and George were working at the shop, the two of them highly anxious about what Xenophilius' state of mind would be.

"He's always been a bit nutty" Ginny pointed out as they made their way up to the strange, rook-shaped house, "This might have tipped him over the edge"

"I don't care. We have to see him; the poor man must be devastated" Viria replied, determined, and they linked arms as they walked. It had snowed, and their feet crunched as they trudged through it. Viria was wearing her new jumper.

"'Keep your hands off the dirigible plums'" Ginny read, pulling a face, "What the hell is a dirigible plum?"

"One of those" Viria offered up helpfully, poking at the funny-coloured fruit with a grimace, "They don't look very nice, do they?"

"I can't believe you just poked them when the sign says not to! We read it thirty seconds ago – you know what Luna's like, they might explode or something!"

"Why are we still standing here if you think they're about to explode? Come on, Gin, seriously – "

"What do you want here?" the man's voice was thin and tremulous, coming through the front door. Viria jumped violently, and Ginny's nails dug into her arm.

"How did he know we were here?" Ginny hissed, eyes wide. Viria gave her a withering look.

"We poked the plums then had a row about it. I'm sure it wasn't hard to work out" she hissed back before raising her voice to speak to Xenophilius through the door, "Hello, Mr Lovegood. It's Ginny and Viria – Luna's friends? We just wanted to speak to you about what's happened to her. May we come in?"

There was a long pause before the door opened, and Ginny and Viria exchanged a worried glance before they entered the house.

Xenophilius looked in a terrible state; dirty and dishevelled, he looked nothing like how he had at the wedding. The house was a mess too, and the sound of a rickety printing press was so loud that Viria had to resist the urge to cover her ears.

"You're Luna's friends?" Xenophilius queried, squinting at them in the gloomy light. Ginny smiled kindly at him.

"Yes, Mr Lovegood. We came here a few times over the Summer"

"Oh, yes" Xenophilius responded vaguely, "Yes, I remember. Would you like a drink?"

He gestured for them to sit down at a table covered with various unknown articles. They did so with wariness.

"No, thank you, Mr Lovegood. We just wanted to...check...that you had heard what happened to Luna?" Ginny asked cautiously. Xenophilius sat down also. His eyes glazed over, looking into space, and Ginny wondered whether he had even heard them. When he spoke, his voice was soft and dazed.

"Yes, I heard. They told me how they took off the train. She's being imprisoned. They might kill her because of what I was writing"

"_Was_?" Viria queried, "You mean you've stopped writing about...Harry?"

"Yes" when he looked up at her, his eyes were quite wild, "I had no choice, you must understand – my Luna – they've taken my Luna – "

"And they haven't given her back, even though you've stopped writing those things?" Ginny looked anxiously at Viria. That was not a good sign.

Xenophilius stifled a sob, "I don't know what they want from me! I just want my Luna, I don't know what they think I have – "

"Calm down, Mr Lovegood" said Viria gently, patting his arm. Tears had filled her own eyes; his pain bought her own flooding back to her, "I'm sure they'll give her back soon. They have to. She's got nothing they need now"

Viria wasn't quite sure she believed herself, but her words seemed to soothe Xenophilius. H e sat very quietely for several long moments.

Ginny looked up at the clock, "Mr Lovegood, we're going to have to go now. Would you like us to come again? We can bring some things for you, if there's anything you need?"

Xenophilius shook his head, "I just need my Luna" he insisted. Ginny sighed softly, overwhelmed with pity.

"Will you write to one of us at Hogwarts, if you hear anything more? Luna is a good friend of ours and we're very worried about her" Viria scribbled down their names and the word 'Hogwarts' in capital letters, and pushed the paper towards him. Xenophilius took it numbly, and nodded.

"If you like" he agreed, but neither of them were quite sure he knew what he had agreed to.

He stood on the doorstep and waved to them long after they were out of sight.

* * *

><p>"We never seem to get very long together, do we?" Fred observed the night before Viria was due to return. He was running the tips of his fingers along her spine, lightly, like he was playing a piano. Viria shivered with the sensation, and not unpleasantly. She rolled over onto her side to face him.<p>

"No" she agreed forlornly, "We don't. Maybe I really should quit school"

"Don't start that again" Fred said sternly as she snuggled up to him, curling against his side. He could feel her warm breath as she lay her head on his chest, and her leg twined around his to keep warm, "There's no question of you not finishing school"

"I know, I know. It was just a suggestion" she yawned widely, "I'm tired now. How many hours do I have left to sleep?"

Fred squinted at his watch, "About three hours"

"Ugh" she groaned, "It's your fault" her voice was muffled now; she was drifting off to sleep.

"Yeah, yeah" he murmured in agreement, kissing her hair, "It's always my fault"

Even when she was breathing steadily and he knew she was asleep, Fred remained awake. He didn't like them being separated, but he didn't want her to drop out of Hogwarts early as he had done, even though he knew it was different there now. Not in a good way, either. She was bloody clever, and extraordinarily talented – he still remembered how she had been the first in the DA to produce a Patronus – and he would not have her waste that, even if it meant they got less time together than either of them would have liked.

He wasn't sure quite why it came to him at that moment, a memory of her before they were together, but he knew that recalling it would help him fall into a peaceful sleep. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes.

_She'd been asked to replace Alicia in a Quidditch match, before they'd got together. It was a strict rule that, when changing into their Quidditch robes, the girls dressed on one side of the room, boys on the other – and __**no-one**__ peeked._

_But Fred, of course, being Fred, hadn't been able to resist. He'd taken a sneaky look at Viria (he'd had a good view), and hadn't been able to look away. _

_She had to be doing it on purpose, he'd thought at the time; unbuttoning her white shirt with her back arched slightly, so when the shirt came off her breast were pushed forward in the sheer white lace bra, shown to their fullest advantage. She'd then unzipped her school skirt over her hip, slowly, revealing skimpy lace knickers to match the bra, her pert backside sticking out towards him. He'd been quite transfixed, dressing robotically while his eyes stayed fixed on her. Still in her underwear, Viria had stretched up her slender arms to tie back her long dark curls. She had a mole on her shoulder blade. _

_She must have felt him looking; she had turned to pierce him with her green eyes, blushed, and pulled on her robes as quickly as possible._

"_It's not good for you to be so distracted before a game" she had whispered to him as she swept away, and he had smiled._


	23. Flesh Wounds

**A/N: All I can say is sorry that it's been a while – you'd understand if you knew the events of my life this past week. Anyway, I got no reviews for the last one, which made me very sad – so please review this time around! Thank you so much for reading.**

_I'm standing under a white flag oh_

_Can you see me oh, can you see me oh_

_I'm standing for everything we have oh_

_Can you hear me oh, can you hear me__  
><em>_This is why we do it this is worth the pain_

_This is why we bow down and get back up again_

_This is where the heart lies, this is from above_

_Love is this, this is love – This = Love, The Script._

"Viria, the train is about to leave" Ginny tapped her foot impatiently on the station platform, then rolled her eyes when her friend still refused to move, "Viria. Move"

Viria twined herself closer around Fred, giggled at something he said. Her fingertip traced his lips.

"_Viria_! Do I seriously have to ask you again?"

Viria visibly jumped, jade eyes wide and startled. Fred laughed as he relinquished his grip on her waist.

"She was coming, Gin! Geez" he kissed Viria briefly and stroked away an ebony corkscrew curl, "They still checking your letters?"

"I expect so" Viria murmured in reply, "The code is foolproof, else I'd have been pulled up by the Carrows a million times by now. Just stick to that"

"If you're sure" Fred agreed warily, grinning at his fiancée, "Go on, then. The sooner you go the sooner you'll be back, right?"

"I hope so. I love you"

"I love you too. Now please go, before Ginny kills me with the lasers shooting from her eyes"

Viria laughed loudly, and linked Ginny's arm as they walked to the train, waving and blowing kisses over her shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Viria! Ginny!" Neville's head poked around the compartment door, a silly smile on his face, forcing himself and his trunk inside, "I've been looking for the pair of you. Good Christmas?"<p>

"Good as it can be" Ginny replied with a shrug, "And yours?"

"Not too bad" Neville looked to Viria wistfully, "What about you, Viria? Did you enjoy your first Weasley Christmas?"

Viria laughed, "Of course!" she replied, and without thinking, held out her left hand to show off the glittering emerald and diamond ring, "It's all official now, I couldn't wait to tell you – Fred and I are engaged!"

Ginny was giving her a ferocious look, and it suddenly dawned on Viria that maybe she shouldn't be so excited. Neville had gone as white as a sheet. She dropped her hand, but Neville summoned up a smile.

"It's beautiful. Congratulations!" he squeezed her in a spontaneous, friendly hug, which Viria returned with caution.

There was a long silence when they had all sat down. Viria was nibbling her lip anxiously, worrying that she had upset Neville. She'd forgotten that Ginny insisted Neville was still crazy about her.

"You okay, Neville?" she heard Ginny ask softly, gently, as her eyelids began to droop from lack of sleep. She let them close; it would allow her to listen to them.

"Of course I am" Neville responded just as quietely, "She was meant for Fred, any idiot could see that. And contrary to popular opinion, I'm not an idiot"

"No" Ginny agreed with a little smile in her voice, "You're not. And as much as I wish she wasn't, because it would make you smile, she is meant for him. Sorry. Luna likes you, though"

"Yeah" Neville snorted, "Yeah, Luna likes me, and God only knows where she is right now"

* * *

><p>They had been right about the Carrows all along.<p>

Prior to Christmas, time at Hogwarts had been a comparative breeze. Now, however, things were different.

The students were not allowed to send letters at all. Viria knew that Fred would have gathered that much from her lack of replies – soon, he stopped sending letters too. Punishment got fiercer – any backchat or poor behaviour resulted in torture at the hands of the demonic brother and sister, the Cruciatus curse being their favourite method. Viria, Ginny and Neville tried to block out the screams when they rang in the corridors of an evening, but that was easier said than done.

Alecto Carrow's Muggle Studies lessons became more vicious in their intensity. First and Second years left the classroom trembling, her vile words and hateful opinions branded into their poor, susceptible minds. The older ones were less gullible, which meant that they were the ones who ended up with the detentions. Viria had avoided one thus far, as had Ginny, and although Neville had a few cuts and bruises they hadn't yet tortured him. They were doing okay.

Until a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, led by Amycus Carrow, that took place in mid-February.

"The Cruciatus curse is essential for anyone wishing to become a true master of the dark arts. Pain is the most powerful form of control available to anyone, be them Muggle or magician. I want you to practice the curse in your pairs. You all know the spell"

There was a rigid, terrified, heavy silence in the room. Amycus Carrow looked impatiently at the inert students.

"Off you go, now! The Cruciatus curse is not an easy one to master"

Viria looked at Ginny in horror. She knew that she would get into trouble beyond anything she could ever have imagined, but she could not, _would_ not, curse Ginny.

"No" she said loudly, alarmed, "No way! Sorry to disappoint you, _Professor_, but there is absolutely no way I'm going to curse my best friend. Not a chance"

Amycus looked at Viria with a cold, vindictive disdain, "You'll do what I tell you, missy. You're my pupil"

"I'll rot in Hell before I'll be your pupil" Viria hissed, eyes spitting hatred. There was a collective gasp. Amycus' eyes narrowed.

"I'm sure that can be arranged. One more chance, Miss Beauchamp. Practice the curse on little miss blood traitor here"

"No" Viria's voice was hard, measured, but that didn't mean she wasn't scared, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Well" Amycus mused, the most terrifying smile Viria had ever seen crossing his face, "I suppose I could always use a little practice myself" he raised his wand.

"No!" Neville yelped, leaping towards Viria, but he was knocked down as easily as a feather with a stunning spell. Viria had begun to tremble, pressing her eyelids tightly shut as Amycus raised his wand a second time.

It was not the Cruciatus curse, but a spell Viria had never heard of before, and one she hoped never to hear of again. She was lifted into the air, and felt a ripple of pain in the places of her scars. Her eyes were still closed. It did not take long for the ripple to turn into a flame.

She screamed. One by one, agonisingly slowly, her scars were being peeled open with the curse, her flesh torn anew, as fresh and painful as when Greyback had first dragged his ragged claws across her ivory skin. The scream that never ended, never paused, filled her head and her ears and her throat and never ceased, until she suddenly realised that it was her own scream, dragging on and on and on...blood was soaking her, dripping over her face, seeping through her clothes. She was begging, she hated herself for it but she was begging, surely she must be dying, surely the pain must stop...?

"Stop it! STOP IT! _PLEASE_!" it was Ginny screaming; she was obviously being restrained, "Let her GO! For God's sake let her go!"

Amycus cackled. Viria's head was beginning to feel fuzzy, and the parts of her that weren't burning with blood were numb and cold. She could no longer scream, because her throat felt like it was bleeding too.

The chanting stopped, and Viria felt herself falling. The short distance from the air to the ground felt much longer than it should have, and she knew vaguely that when she fell there would be a sickening thud or crunch as her head hit stone and this would all be over. And she hadn't said goodbye to Fred, her beloved Fred...

"Aresto momentum!" someone shrieked, and as she jolted to a halt in midair, every bone in Viria's body seemed to rattle.

And, just like before, she blacked out.


	24. Healing

**A/N: No reviews again! Do you want to make me cry? :'(. Anyhow, on beautiful sunny days like this when I have an ice cream in my hand, I do not hold grudges. So here's the next chapter. PLEASE REVIEW! It would make me so happy. I will love you forever. Thank you for reading!**

_Oh simple thing, where have you gone?  
>I'm getting old and I need something to rely on<br>So tell me when you're gonna let me in  
>I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin<em>

_And if you have a minute, why don't we go_  
><em>Talk about it somewhere only we know?<em>  
><em>This could be the end of everything<em>  
><em>So why don't we go? So why don't we go? – Somewhere only we know, Keane.<em>

Viria could not make out what room she was being dragged into by Ginny and Neville; her head was spinning and her vision unfocused. She was sitting down on something, with an arm around her – Ginny's, she guessed – and promptly spewed out a stream of blood from her lips. She became aware of Neville saying something, of Ginny producing a basin for her to vomit into. She threw up what felt like gallons of blood before it turned into normal vomit and she could see clearly again.

"I've called him" she heard Ginny say to Neville, and saw him nod. Neither of them knew why she had puked so much blood, but they could see the blood seeping through her clothes and staining her lips and guessed that the scars had gone much deeper this time.

When the vomiting had stopped, Ginny helped Viria to rinse out her mouth, emptying the bowl with a simple scourgifying spell. Viria was shaking, and the room was silent.

"Why are we in here?" she asked croakily. Ginny shook her head.

"Don't ask questions. We need to get your cuts sorted out" she made to wipe the sticky liquid from Viria's face, but Viria pushed her away.

"Don't touch" she demanded, and Ginny did not touch. There was a noise from behind them.

"Thank Merlin you're here" Ginny said to the person, who said nothing in reply. Viria knew who it was even before he came to stand in front of her. His face blanched at the sight of all the blood; for a moment, Viria though she saw tears in his eyes.

"Thanks" he said at last, looking at Neville and Ginny, "I'll look after her. It'll be fine"

Ginny looked wary, but Neville nodded his assent. He grinned at Viria before he left.

"The way things are headed, we'll be joining you soon" he offered up, still smiling, and led a resistant Ginny away. Viria understood now; they'd had the plan in place since just after Christmas. If one of them got too badly hurt, they could hide out in the Room of Requirement until it was time to return home. There was a passageway in the Room that Neville had devised, allowing members of the Order to enter the Room from the Hog's Head pub, after being alerted with the old DA-style coins.

She hadn't expected to be the first one in here.

Fred sat down beside her and gently took her hand, "You okay, Vi?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, "I'm fine" she mumbled. Fred squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"You need to let me clean your scars. They need treating"

She shook her head vehemently, "No"

"Vi, I've seen your scars before"

"No" she repeated firmly.

"For Merlin's sake, we're getting married! Some scars and some blood don't change anything. You're still beautiful and you're still mine"

"You've not seen me like this" she sobbed, the salty tears stinging the scar on her cheek. Fred carefully cradled her face in his hands, and tried not to grimace when he felt the blood oozing onto his hand.

"Listen to me, Vi. You're going to have to let me do this. Those cuts were re-opened with dark magic, we don't know what will happen if they get infected. I bought some stuff from Mum's to sort you out, but you're going to have to cooperate. Okay?"

She nodded weakly, too exhausted now to fight. Fred started with the scar on her face, washing it with cool water, wiping it over with a green, milky liquid that smelt like oranges, wadding up some bandages and sticking them on with medical masking tape. He knew it wouldn't be enough, that the blood would probably seep through and the dressings need changing, but it was the best he could do. Once that cut had been sorted, Fred looked warily into Viria's empty eyes. His touch was warm, his voice gentle.

"I'm going to need to take your clothes off to sort the others. Is that okay?"

"Nothing you haven't seen before" Viria mumbled, but she did not smile. Fred carefully removed her sodden, crimson clothing with practised hands, treating the rest of the cuts in the same way as the first. When she was cleaned up, he handed her an old shirt of his and a pair of cotton pyjama shorts.

"I took them from the stuff you left at ours ready for Christmas" he explained upon receiving a quizzical look.

"Thank you" she whispered once he had helped her into them, and he knew she was thanking him for a lot more than the clothes.

"Come on" he said softly, and she realised they were sitting on a double camp bed, piled high with duvets, "You need to get some sleep"

She curled up in the bed with his arms wrapped around, his face pressed into her hair. She could feel damp and thought he might be crying.

"Were you scared, Vi?" he asked her huskily, voice muffled.

"I was" she replied thickly, "But not now I'm with you"

* * *

><p>It took four days for the wounds to stop bleeding. Viria did not speak, though Fred tried relentlessly to coax words from her lips. He changed the dressings and cleaned the wounds three times daily, and held her while she slept.<p>

"Hey, look, Vi" he said with a smile on that fourth morning, holding out the clean bandages, "They've stopped bleeding! They're looking a lot better now, too. Want to see?"

Viria shook her head, and Fred knew better than to push her. He peeled off the rest of the bandages and wrapped her carefully in a fluffy dressing gown. She'd had a bath in the newly appeared bathroom and her hair was still damp and sweetly scented.

"You going to talk to me, Vi?" he asked gently, stroking a strand of the wet hair.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled at last, "I haven't felt like talking much"

"I know" Fred murmured, lightly pressing a kiss to her cheek, "I understand. But I'm not going anywhere, at least not until someone else is here; and silence gets kind of boring sometimes, right?"

She smiled at him feebly, "I'm so glad you're here, Fred"

"Me too. Fancy a game of chess?"

"Sure" she agreed, still with that funny little smile on her face, "If you like"

* * *

><p>As she was dozing in the early evening, there came a knock at the door that woke her. When she realised it was Neville, however, she kept her eyes closed – she wanted to hear how he and Fred were around each other when they thought she wasn't listening.<p>

"Hi" said Neville, "She doing okay?"

"Yeah, thanks, much better. The scars have stopped bleeding"

"That's great!"

"I know. And she's talking again" there was a pause, "Ginny with you?"

"No, she's got a potions essay due tomorrow. Don't want her attacked by the Carrows too, do we?"

"No, I guess not. Well, tell her that Viria's doing really well now, okay?"

"Will do" Neville hesitated, and Viria felt sure that they were both looking at her, "Look, I know Ginny's told you about –about me and Viria, but I just wanted to make it clear that nothing's going on – "

"I know that. But I also know that you're in love with her" Fred didn't sound angry, much to Viria's surprise; he sounded _forlorn_, "I'm sorry, Neville. Maybe if things were different, if me and her weren't together..."

Neville laughed, somewhat bitterly, "Oh, even then I wouldn't have a chance. Girls like her don't go for boys like me"

Viria flinched at the sadness in his voice. Fred laughed too.

"They don't go for boys like me, either, Neville. But she has. And someone like her will do the same with you"

"There's not anyone like her. You know that as well as I do"

"Oh, yes, I do. That's why I'm marrying her"

"I heard. Congratulations"

"Thanks. I am sorry, mate, really"

"Yeah, I know. Tell her I said hi"

"Course. See you tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world"

Even when the door shut behind him, Viria kept her eyes closed -it might look a little suspicious if she opened them so quickly after Neville's departure.

She felt the bed sink slightly and Fred's hands stroking her hair.

"You'd make a rubbish actress" he said loudly, a smile in his voice, "I know you're not asleep, Vi"

"Oh" she opened her eyes warily, squinting up at him, "Are you annoyed?"

Fred chuckled, "No, Vi, I'm not. I think you needed to hear what you've done to the poor bloke, to be honest"

Viria blushed, her eyes widening appealingly, "I didn't know he felt like that, Fred, honestly I didn't. And I don't have a clue why"

Fred rolled his eyes and snorted, "Oh, Vi. Yes you do"

She frowned, genuinely puzzled, "No I don't!"

"Have you looked at yourself lately? Take a guess" he leaned forward and kissed her full on the mouth, "You're beautiful, clever, funny, kind, brave – and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who looks at you and instantly wants to"

She smiled up at him, "Sounds like you got pretty lucky"

"Oh yeah, I did" he kissed her again, and, this time, she kissed him back. He hadn't been expecting it after the time she'd had, but that's not to say he wasn't delighted. He lightly stroked the healing scar on her cheek and she kissed him harder. The dressing gown fell away.

"Vi, I'd understand if you don't quite feel ready. You've been through a lot the past few days..."

She raised her eyebrows, "I'm always ready for you"


	25. A Ceremony

**A/N: Hi! READ THIS. Thanks . Right, so, I've still had NO REVIEWS, and it's kind of bugging me now, because I know that people are reading it and favouriting it and stuff (and I am so, so grateful for that) but I don't actually know what your opinion is. For all I know, you could have read it and decided it was the worst thing you've ever read in your life and closed it down in a huff. I'd just really like to know. If you wish for me to continue writing, please leave a review. Thank you! Xx**

_'Cause it's a beautiful night  
>We're looking for something dumb to do<br>Hey baby  
>I think I wanna marry you<em>

_Is it the look in your eyes_  
><em>Or is it this dancing juice?<em>  
><em>Who cares, baby<em>  
><em>I think I wanna marry you<em>

_I'll go get a ring_  
><em>Let the choir bells sing like<em>  
><em>Ooh, so what ya wanna do?<em>  
><em>Let's just run, girl – Marry You, Bruno Mars.<em>

"Fred!" Viria shrieked, laughing, "Put me down!"

She yanked on a chunk of Fred's red hair from her perch on his back and he yelped, dropping her to the ground with a thud. Still laughing, Viria darted across the room away from him, but Fred had soon caught her, grabbing her around the waist and turning her to face him.

"We're acting like children" she pointed out, stern but with a smile curving her lips. Fred grinned.

"And? What's wrong with that? It's not like there's anyone else here"

"Yet" she corrected, "I'm sure it won't be long. Did you see how battered Neville was the other day? That mark around his eye was black and blue. I don't think he should have to take much more"

"I agree, but I don't think that's how Neville sees it. He sees himself as some sort of freedom fighter" Fred traced the shape of the scar by her eye, "I think he's doing it to impress you"

"Oh, shut up" she gave him a little shove in the centre of his chest, and Fred retaliated with a kiss. She laughed against his lips and complied.

"Hey" Fred murmured gently, pulling away, "Vi, I want to marry you"

Viria glowed up at him, "I know. That's why you proposed, remember?" she wiggled the emerald ring at him, "With the ring that matches my eyes?"

"I mean now" Fred replied softly, drawing her closer, "I mean today"

"What?" she snorted with incredulous laughter, "Fred, we can't get married now! There's things to organise, and there's so many people not around at the moment that need to be at our wedding -Luna, Ron, Harry, Hermione! We can't just set up a ceremony on a whim!"

"Why not? It's the last day before Easter today, right? Ginny and Neville will be here to visit soon, so we can have them with us, at least. We can go through to the Hog's Head and Apparate to that hill near home. When we get there I'll send a Patronus to Mum to tell her what we're planning, and to tell her to get your mum and dad to ours pronto. And George, who is of course my best man. Thoughts?"

"You're a lunatic, Fred Weasley" she hesitated, "Anyway, while all that sounds plausible, there's just one little tiny detail standing in our way"

"What's that, then?"

"I don't have a wedding dress yet"

"Oh" Fred pressed his lips together in thought, "Um...you could always wore the dress you wore to Bill's wedding, you looked beautiful in that – that was quite a posh dress"

"No, Fred. The one thing I will insist on is that I have a proper wedding dress, okay? No compromises there"

There was a sudden rustle from behind them; Fred released Viria's waist, thinking that Ginny and Neville had arrived.

But the noise that they had heard was that of a large oaken wardrobe that had suddenly appeared in their midst. Viria gaped at it.

"You don't think that's got..."

"A wedding dress? Yes, I do. Go and have a look, Vi"

She turned to look at him, "No peeking"

Fred nodded and turned away while Viria moved towards the mysterious wardrobe. She opened it, warily, and gasped at what she saw.

The dress of her dreams was hanging up inside the wardrobe; a dress made of pure white silk, a thin layer of translucent white gossamer lying over the silk. On the bodice, a collection of pale green and pale gold sequins made a simple but beautiful pattern of trailing flowers on their stem. The very hem of the dress was edged with barely visible lace that would flutter down to her toes when worn. A beautiful headdress hung on a hook on the wardrobe door – a metal circlet shaped to create delicate leaves and flowers in the same shades of pale green and gold that would rest strikingly on her black hair. Finally, a pair of shoes stood in the bottom of the wardrobe, with low heels, made of silk and stiff satin with a fragile pale gold ribbon tie around the ankle.

"Oh, Fred" Viria breathed, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life"

"Can I turn round and look?"

"No!" that was Ginny's voice; Viria had not heard them come in, but she had suddenly appeared by her side, also gazing into the wardrobe. Ginny's voice was filled with awe.

"Vi, it's gorgeous. But what is it doing here?"

Viria shut the wardrobe doors, and turned to look at Fred, "Which of us is going to tell them of your harebrained schemes?"

* * *

><p>It seemed only minutes later that Molly Weasley was rushing around the Burrow in preparation for the most spontaneous wedding she had ever known. Viria was up in Ginny's bedroom getting ready, with her newly arrived mother and Fleur, who had insisted on helping. Fred was being, perhaps unsuccessfully, prepared by George, Neville and Bill. Arthur and Frank had managed to contact the small man who had presided over Dumbedore's funeral and the previous wedding, who had promised to be there within the hour. It was all a great hurry, and Molly couldn't help thinking of those they would miss, tears filling her eyes; but this was a happy occasion, and she would not think of them now.<p>

Meanwhile, Viria was sitting in a chair before the mirror while Fleur styled her hair. As irritating as the Frenchwoman could be, she was good with a hairbrush.

"Oh, Viria, you look stunning" Ginny breathed, leaning over her best friend, wearing her golden bridesmaid dress from Bill and Fleur's wedding, "Fred's not going to believe his eyes"

"It is true, my darling, you look dazzling! I never thought you would grow to be so _charmant!_"

Viria winced at her mother's words and did not reply, smiling at Ginny instead, "Thanks, Gin. I can't believe this is actually happening"

"Well, I am glad of eet. We need some cheer in our lives" Fleur said, beaming, "There. Your 'air looks wonderful"

"Thank you, Fleur. It looks just how I wanted it to"

Fleur smiled at the compliment. Giselle dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

"It's time" Ginny said at last, "So. Are you ready to spend the rest of your lives with the most irritating of all my brothers?"

Viria grinned, "Yes. You know what, I am. Very ready"

The ceremony went far too quickly for Viria's liking. George had made some golden lanterns that hovered in the darkening sky, and Molly had found emerald green ribbon streamers that she had threaded everywhere she could manage. It may not have had the splendour that Viria had originally pictured, but somehow, it was perfect. She and Fred joined hands, and he told her that she looked more beautiful now than ever before, and she smiled. Their kiss lasted longer than anyone had anticipated, and the small party lasted well into the night.

"Well, Mrs Weasley" Fred teased with a smile, stroking a loose strand of Viria's hair when they finally reached their bedroom, "I'd say I'm the luckiest man alive right now"

Viria giggled and kissed his fingertip, "I'd say you were, too"

They both laughed softly, the kiss they shared next more wonderful than anything that had come before or anything that would come after. Fred kissed her earlobe as he spoke to her.

"How long do you think it'll take for me to get all those beautiful clothes off of you?"

Viria chuckled, murmuring into his ear, "Not long if you hurry"

The buttons on the back of the dress were undone with swiftness, and it fell to the floor with a soft rustle, leaving Viria in the ivory underwear that had been hidden in the drawer of the wardrobe. She removed his robes just as hastily, and drew him closer to her, pressing her forehead against his as their bodies curved into one.

"I know I say it a lot, but I love you so, so much, Fred Weasley, and I know already that the best thing I've ever done was agree to become your wife" she pressed her lips lightly, momentarily, against his.

"Vi, you can't begin to understand how happy that makes me. I just wish we hadn't wasted so much time, because I want to spend every second of my life with you, right until the day I die"

"We can make that happen" she replied, and this time when they kissed, there was no speaking for a very long time.


	26. Moving

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews – it was a great vote of confidence after such a long period of receiving none! Please continue to leave them. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

_I have died everyday  
>Waiting for you<br>Darlin' don't be afraid,  
>I have loved you for a<br>Thousand years  
>I'll love you for a<br>Thousand more_

_And all along I believed_  
><em>I would find you<em>  
><em>Time has brought<em>  
><em>Your heart to me<em>  
><em>I have loved you for a<em>  
><em>Thousand years<em>  
><em>I'll love you for a<em>  
><em>Thousand more – A Thousand Years, Christina Perri.<em>

The morning after their wedding, Viria and Fred were awakened rather abruptly by a frantic Molly Weasley.

She couldn't bear to wake them at first – they looked so peaceful, and so happy. It was obvious that they were both naked under the bedclothes, but after having seven children, that sort of thing didn't bother Molly any. Viria had her head laying on Fred's chest, her arm flung across his waist and her legs tangled up with his under the sheets, while Fred lay with both arms around her, his head ducked down on top of hers and lips pressed to her hair. Molly smiled for the merest fraction of a second before she remembered why she was there and started shrieking at them.

"Fred! Viria! Get up!"

Viria opened one eye sleepily, then closed it again and snuggled closer to Fred, who did not stir. Molly sighed heavily and, grabbing a fallen pillow, proceeded to whack it about her son's head.

"Mum!" Fred yelped, sitting bolt upright at once, jerking Viria awake with him, "What in the name of Merlin are you doing?"

Viria said nothing, squinting from under her dishevelled curls and frowning in bemusement. Molly looked at them both fretfully.

"We have to leave home. Ron's been seen, they know he's not in bed with Spattergroit. They'll be here to question us all –try and torture information out of us, and they won't believe us if they think we know nothing. We're leaving for Muriel's in an hour. Viria, your parents are coming – we pointed out to them that now you're married to Fred, you're linked too closely with us to be ignored, so you have to come too – and we would never leave you behind, dear, of course. Hurry"

They were both suddenly very awake. Viria stared at Fred in astonishment, not quite knowing what to say.

"Not exactly the wedding present I was expecting" said Fred at last, running his fingers through his ruffled hair. Viria laughed weakly, still shocked.

"Me neither" she hesitated a few moments longer, "I...guess we'd better pack"

She already had a suitcase brimming with clothes – it was just a few of the bits now strewn about the room that needed packing with them, included her rumpled wedding dress. She held it for a long time before folding it into the suitcase too, then went to help Fred.

"I guess me and George won't be working anymore, none of us will" Fred mused anxiously, "Maybe we could run a mail order sort of thing..."

" I hardly think that's what you need to be worrying about right now" Viria scolded, exasperated, "I'm slightly more concerned about the fact that your mum said Ron had been seen. Does that mean all of them were seen?"

"I would imagine so. It's not like Ron would ever separate from Hermione – anyone aside from him can see he's in love with her"

Viria laughed, "And Hermione. She has no idea. It's sweet, really" she yanked on her Weasley jumper with a small smile, "Come on, it's nearly time to leave"

* * *

><p>Muriel was not at all pleased to see them. She greeted the Weasleys, her family, just as coldly as she greeted Viria and her family, whom she had never met.<p>

"Oh. So you're French? We seem to be overrun with French people nowadays in this family. Can't get rid of them. And you're married to Fred, are you?" she asked Viria, looking down her screwed up nose.

"Yes" Viria replied, as coolly as possible. She was more than a little offended by Muriel's hauteur.

Muriel eyed her up and down, "You're rather young to be married"

"We don't think so" she reached for Fred's hand, an action Muriel greeted with an expression of contempt.

"Well I do, and I'm much older and wiser than the two of you. And that hair of yours could do with a good comb. You could do with losing a little weight, too"

"Excuse me – "Frank went to defend his daughter, a rather angry flush on his face, but Fred got there first.

"I don't suppose you could treat Viria a _little_ more kindly, could you? She is my wife now, after all, and part of this family. And I won't have you speak to her like that" Fred's voice was icy cold, "In fact, if it's not too much trouble, I'd appreciate it if you kept your opinions about all of this family to yourself"

Muriel spluttered a protest, and glared at Ginny, who was giggling, and George, who had high-fived his twin, but found nothing to say. She stormed off instead, leaving a beaming Molly to allocate rooms to everyone.

When they were sorted, Viria left Fred and George to have a catch up and went to find Ginny, who she felt she'd barely spoken to. Ginny was sitting at the window of the spare bedroom that was now hers, looking out at the vast acres of gardens belonging to Muriel. She grinned when Viria entered.

"I'm glad you're here, I was going to come and fetch you. I've missed talking with you. And I wanted to show off about that fact that I definitely got the best view"

Viria grinned back and squidged on the window seat with her best friend, "Yeah, you did! And I've missed talking with you too. Thanks so much for yesterday, Gin –you were a great last-minute bridesmaid"

Ginny laughed, "You're welcome. You'd do the same for me. You looked really beautiful yesterday – did you see Fred's face when you walked out of the house? He lit up. It was adorable"

"I wish I had! I was too busy staring at the floor and hoping I wouldn't trip. Thanks, though" Viria wrapped her arms around her knees, and Ginny mirrored her actions, "What happens now?"

"We wait, I guess. If they've been spotted, it won't be long before the big confrontation takes place" Ginny sounded calm, but Viria knew that she was anything but. She reached out and touched Ginny's hand lightly.

"Do you really think Harry can do it? Beat You-Know-Who?"

Ginny looked thoughtfully at Viria with her large brown eyes, "Yes. At least, I hope so"

"How, though?"

"I don't know. But he has too. Because I can't live without him, Viria, I just can't. I haven't told him I love him yet. How can I not have told him that? I wish I had now"

"I bet there are a lot of things you wish you'd done, and I bet he feels just the same" Viria squeezed Ginny's hand and looked out of the window. They were silent for a long time.

"Anyway" said Ginny at last, suddenly smiling, "How does it feel? Being someone's wife -being Fred's wife, of all people?"

Viria giggled, "It's weird! When he said I was his wife it just sounded so strange – it feels right, though. It was meant to happen all along, I know it was, and so does he. It's just going to take a bit of getting used to"

Ginny laughed too, "I suppose it is. Hey, that makes us sisters now, right?"

Viria beamed, "Yeah! Yes, it does! I hadn't thought of that before. That's amazing"

"It is. Oh Merlin, I'm going to be Aunt to all your children – that's scary!"

"Ginny!" Viria pretended to hit her around the head, "I'm not planning on having any for a long time yet – and I'm pretty sure it's not Fred's top priority either!"

Ginny looked disappointed, "Oh! Fine. I bet you'll be one of those couples who just don't stop having children. You'll be like some sort of baby-producing machine. Six of the brats, at the least"

"Oi!" they were both laughing now, doubled over, smiling all over their faces, "I don't think so, Ginny, honest. Not for ages"

"Alright" Ginny agreed, still smiling, "That's probably for the best. Anyhow, that garden looks like it'd make a great Quidditch pitch – want to see if Fred and George fancy a game?"

"I'm a bit too tired for Quidditch! Last night was my wedding night, remember?"

"Ugh" Ginny grimaced, "You can play for a punishment for saying that. Ugh! I feel really sick now. Come on"


	27. Waiting

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your lovely reviews, they made me very happy . Please leave some more and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

_It's a showdown, and nobody comes to save you now  
>But you've got something they don't<br>Yeah you've got something they don't  
>You've just gotta keep your eyes open<br>Everybody's waiting for you to breakdown  
>Everybody's watching to see the fallout<br>Even when you're sleeping, sleeping  
>Keep your eyes open – Eyes Open, Taylor Swift.<em>

It was a few weeks later, while the group were eating breakfast, that everything started to go wrong. Ginny was attempting to explain the traditions of Easter to Arthur and Frank, who had bonded over their shared love of all things Muggle, for what felt like the millionth time, Giselle was painting her nails, Molly was trying to pacify Aunt Muriel by piling her plate with more food than anyone else's, and Fred, George and Viria were talking about how well the business was doing despite the fact that it was being run out of Muriel's back window, and coming up with new and frequently hilarious ideas. Viria was smiling privately between laughter at the way Fred was absentmindedly caressing her thigh while he spoke with his brother.

Errol came swooping into the house through the open window, promptly crashing into a sink full of washing up water and making Viria laugh all the more. Molly sighed, untangling the newspaper and a couple of letters from around his ankle.

"Stupid bird" she muttered, lifting him out of the water and dunking him onto the worktop, "Go on, daft thing, catch your breath"

She unfolded the newspaper, anxious as always, and let out a terrific scream. Viria slopped orange juice down the front of her pink cotton dress, while Giselle sent her pink nail polish glugging across the wooden table, much to Muriel's horror.

"Is it Ron?" asked George, half-risen from his seat, voice edged with hysteria.

"Harry!" Ginny shrieked, launching across the table to try and swipe the paper. Molly Weasley was still so shocked that she could not speak, but she shook her head soundlessly. Everyone around the table breathed deep sighs of relief, flopping down into their seats.

"In the name of Merlin!" Arthur groaned, leaning over his wife's shoulder and burying his face in his hands, "Why on earth - ?"

"Tell us, Dad" Fred urged, still looking pale from the initial thought that his brother might have been dead. Arthur handed the paper over to the twins, who held it between them, mouths agape. Viria and Ginny jumped up and read over their shoulders.

"Oh my God" Viria breathed.

"Why on earth would they have needed to break into Gringotts?" Ginny frowned, "I mean, _we _don't have money, but Hermione doesn't do too badly, and it doesn't bear thinking about how much Harry's got in the bank"

"It wasn't money they were after" said George, scanning the page, "They broke into the Lestrange's vault"

"Bellatrix's?" Viria queried. Fred caught her eye briefly and nodded.

"Yes, Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus"

"What did they take?" Ginny asked, "Money?"

"No" Fred and George shared a puzzled glance, "A small golden cup. That's all the information that's given"

"I hope it was a damn sight more important than just a small golden cup" Arthur grumbled, looking both horrified and mildly impressed.

"It must have been – the three of them are way too clever to risk their lives for something so insignificant" Ginny pointed out. She, too, still looked pale, and Viria privately thought that Ginny would lose the most if anything happened to the trio – a close friend, a brother, and the man she loved. What could be worse?

"I can't believe Ron rode a _dragon_!" George exclaimed, clearly awed. Molly glared at him, snatching the paper away and whacking him around the head with it.

"Don't you glorify robbing a bank, young man! That boy is going to be in so much trouble when he gets home" Molly collected up unfinished breakfasts with a clatter, still mumbling under her breath. No-one dared go near her for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>"It's a lovely house, isn't it? Much too big though – I feel like I never get to speak to my little girl anymore" Frank ruffled his daughter's hair as they walked through the grounds of Muriel's house, enjoying the sun, arms linked, "Things seem to have moved very quickly since you met Fred"<p>

"You are happy for me, aren't you, Papa?" Viria looked up at him anxiously. Frank chuckled.

"Of course I am, angel. The Weasleys are a lovely family and I'm glad to be a part of it – and I only want the best for you, in every part of your life"

"Good. I'm glad" they paused for a moment, flopping down onto a bench under a tree dripping pink blossom. Viria rested with her chin cupped in her hands, gazing up at the house which was now her home.

"I don't know very much about what's going on here, Viria – I know that we're against He Who Must Not Be Named, and I know that we're planting all hopes of his defeat on a seventeen year old boy, but other than that I feel like I know the least of all of us. Me and your mother aren't a big part of this thing, but you are, Viria. What's going on?"

Viria looked up at him warily, "None of us know everything, Papa, honest. We have no idea what Harry, Ron and Hermione are doing or even where they are – all we know is that they're on the trail of something that will hopefully help to get rid of You Know Who once and for all. I do know one thing, though"

"What's that?"

"Whatever happens, I'm going to fight Him, along with all of my friends and my husband. And, hopefully, my family" she gave her father a piercing look, "We have to help. I know you maybe don't know all the details, I don't either, but you must know that we're on the right side"

"It's all getting a bit too deep, Viria. All this talk of fighting...I just don't want you to get hurt"

"I won't. And even if I do, I will not leave Fred. I'm going to go where he goes and help him and maybe even protect him, if that's what it comes to. I have to. I believe in what he believes, and I'm willing to take the necessary action"

Frank looked at her for a long time, his only child, as if trying to make her change her mind. Viria just looked right back, green eyes completely serene. Frank stroked her hair momentarily, his face softening.

"What happened to you, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Viria was smiling, uncomprehending.

"I mean, when did you get so grown up? You're so brave now, Viria, so courageous, and beautiful, and married...and determined. I don't have a say in any of what you do anymore, do I?"

Viria twinkled up at him, a trick she had always used to get what she wanted in childhood, "No, Papa. Sorry!"

Frank threw his head back and laughed, the great, animal-like chuckle that Viria always associated with her father, one of the things she most loved about him.

"Good God, sweetheart, I don't know what I'm going to do with you"

* * *

><p>"It won't be long now, Vi. Whatever they stole from Gringotts was obviously something that not only Bellatrix would miss, but You Know Who himself. This is just the first step towards the big confrontation"<p>

"Oo fink so?" Viria called from the onsuite bathroom as she brushed her teeth.

"Yeah" Fred called back, sprawled across the bed with a book long forgotten, "I really do. We need to be prepared"

Viria spat and rinsed, emerging from the bathroom in an old checked shirt of Fred's, hair tied in a swinging ponytail. She leant against the doorframe, observing him thoughtfully.

"You want the truth, Fred?"

Fred smiled lazily at her from his perch, "Go on"

"I'm kind of scared"

His smile fell away and his eyes fixed on hers, "Yeah, me too"

Suddenly feeling an overwhelming urge to cry, Viria buried her face in her hands to avoid Fred seeing; he moved from the bed and came to her, wrapping her in his arms.

"Hey, hey! What's this? Vi, everything is going to be okay. I won't let anyone hurt you"

"It's just that we don't really know anything...it's walking into the unknown that scares me. And the thought of something happening to you"

"_Nothing_ is going to happen to me. I promise. I can take care of myself, right?" Fred laughed incredulously, tipping her face up to meet his, "Hey, Vi. Seriously. It's going to be fine"

"You've broken your promises before" Viria reminded him. Fred forced her to meet his eyes, tilting her face up higher.

"Vi" he said fiercely, "Didn't I tell you that I will never do that to you again? You have to trust me"

"I trust you" she replied at once, not even thinking, "I do trust you, Fred, I do. It's just fear...fear wipes out trust. Sometimes"

"I know, I know" Fred kissed the tip of her nose, "I just felt like I needed to warn you that something's going to happen, and soon"

"I'm glad you did, I really am. I'm sorry, I feel like I'm being stupid"

"You're not" Fred replied instantly. Viria smiled at him, drying her eyes.

"I can sense it, Fred, that you're right. I know you are" she hesitated, "I feel like...like we won't get another night like tonight for a while"

"I feel like that too" Fred kissed her nose again, her forehead, her cheeks, finally, her lips. He could taste the saltiness of the tears she had shed and it only made him love her more- she wasn't afraid to show him her fears, to share her woes.

"In case we're right..."Viria paused, smiling a glowing smile as she started to unbutton the shirt, "I feel like maybe we shouldn't sleep. At all. Just for one night...?"

Fred chuckled, so low it was almost a growl, eyes fixed on her bare breasts as the shirt fell away "Yes. I quite agree"


	28. Secrets

**A/N: Hi! I didn't get any reviews so I'm a bit sad, but I am updating super-fast, so...can't really complain. Reviews would be great though, especially for this chapter – it's very important to me! Please! Thank you so much for reading. I've had to use a lot of the original text for this, so I just want to emphasise that I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING. This is all the beautiful work of J. K. Rowling and I love her for it.**

_I have died everyday  
>Waiting for you<br>Darlin' don't be afraid,  
>I have loved you for a<br>Thousand years  
>I'll love you for a<br>Thousand more_

_And all along I believed_  
><em>I would find you<em>  
><em>Time has brought<em>  
><em>Your heart to me<em>  
><em>I have loved you for a<em>  
><em>Thousand years<em>  
><em>I'll love you for a<em>  
><em>Thousand more – A Thousand Years, Christina Perri.<em>

They had been right to be afraid.

It was only a few weeks after this event – or maybe even a few days, Viria's days had felt all jumbled since she and Fred had discussed the upcoming fight – that Ginny came bursting into their bedroom with George hot on her heels. Fred jerked his hand out from where it had been under Viria's top, which she yanked down hastily. Normally, George and Ginny would have shared a smirk, but by this point, they were too excited.

"I just got a message from Neville" Ginny said in explanation. Viria and Fred jumped completely apart, staring at her, waiting for what had to come next. Viria grabbed Fred's hand.

"The trio are at Hogwarts. We're going to fight" she said, and her voice was shaking, "Mum and Dad are contacting the rest of the Order as we speak. But we need to go. Lee's meeting us there, George just called him"

Viria looked at Fred, who nodded resignedly. They both rose and followed Ginny and George out of the door to a spot where they could Apparate. Frank stopped Viria by the door and pulled her into his arms.

"We'll be there" he promised her, whispering in her ear, "We'll be going too. I'll see you soon, okay?"

He looked worried, as if he suddenly realised there was a possibility he might never see his daughter again.

"Okay, Papa" Viria agreed, squeezing him back, "See you soon"

"You okay?" Fred asked her as she moved away from her father and grabbed his hand once again. Viria smiled up at him, holding back the tears that were crying out to be shed.

"Just don't let go of my hand" she pleaded fiercely. Fred smiled back at her.

"Never"

* * *

><p>"Aberforth's getting a bit annoyed," said Fred – Viria was surprised at how many people cried out in greeting as they entered the Room. She stayed silent. "He wants a kip, and his bar's turned into a railway station."<p>

Viria saw Cho Chang emerge just behind them and push past, holding up her fake Galleon. She was more focused on Ginny and Harry, whose eyes kept fixing on each other without meaning to, the two of them drawn together like a pair of magnets. Ginny was barely breathing, Viria could hear from standing right next to her. Hermione smiled at both of them, and Viria gave an awkward little wave. Ginny did nothing.

"So what's the plan, Harry?" asked George cheerfully, looking a little too enthusiastic. Viria squeezed Fred's hand tighter.

"There isn't one" Harry replied, looking distracted as an expression of pain bolted across his face. Viria could feel Ginny go tense with concern.

"Just going to make it up as we go along, are we? My favourite kind," said Fred, just as chirpily as his twin. Viria glowered at him from under her hair. How could he sound so nonchalant? She was terrified!

"You've got to stop this!" Harry told Neville. "What did you call them all back for? This is insane!"

"We're fighting, aren't we?" said Dean Thomas, whom Viria recognised mainly because he was one of Ginny's exes. "The message said Harry was back, and we were going to fight! I'll have to get a wand, though..."

"You haven't got a wand?" began Seamus, looking bemused.

Ron turned suddenly to Harry.

"Why can't they help?" he asked, looking inspired. Fred and George nodded in unison.

"What?" Harry exclaimed.

Ron whispered something to Harry, and they saw Hermione agreeing, the three of them in quiet conference. As much as Viria strained her ears, she could not hear what they were saying.

"Okay" said Harry at last, loudly. The room instantly grew tense with a mixture of fear and excitement.

Viria started shaking.

* * *

><p>It seemed only moments later, though it was much longer than that, that everyone suddenly seemed to decide that a fight was on their hands. The Death Eaters were coming, Percy had appeared – Viria liked Percy at once, despite all Fred's moanings about him; he welcomed her to his family so warmly that she almost felt tearful again – and made up with his family, and Ginny was currently arguing with her mother about whether to stay or fight. Viria knew that Mrs Weasley would lose, but she stayed silent.<p>

"Fred, before we leave the Room – there's something I need to tell you" she said, her fingers digging into his palm, "Something really important"

"Can't it wait, Vi?" Fred was practically bouncing with excitement, rearing to go – George and Lee, a few metres away and trying to persuade Molly to let Ginny fight, looked in about the same state, "You can tell me about it later on, when we're all celebrating"

"It can't wait until then, Fred, just – just in case we're not celebrating. It's REALLY important" she was looking up at him desperately. Fred turned to look at her and cupped her face in his own.

"Vi, I told you, everything is going to be fine. You're so brave, I know you are, and you need to use that now. We're going to win, okay?" he kissed her lips briefly, then let his hand drop to hold hers again.

"No, Fred, it's not that – " he wasn't listening, she could see he wasn't listening, "FRED! LISTEN TO ME, FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!"

Fred jumped, and several people looked round at them before deciding to leave them to it. Viria had grabbed both his hands in hers and was looking up at him.

"I'm sorry, it's just that you have to know"

Fred seemed to be taking it seriously at last, "Know what, Vi?" he asked gently, anxiously.

"My period's late" she told him softly, lips pressed together, eyeing him warily. It took Fred a moment to realise what she might be suggesting. He looked stunned.

"What? How late?"

"I don't know, a few weeks? Late enough" she swallowed audibly, "Fred, I think I might be pregnant"

"Have you...checked?" he was looking at her with fear in his eyes. She shook her head.

"No, not yet. I...I wanted us to do it together"

"You can't be pregnant though, Vi, we've been using the charm –"

"We've forgotten the charm before" she pointed out, her voice slightly hoarse, "I'm not sure about it, Fred, I just needed to let you know that it was – is – a possibility"

Fred grabbed her suddenly and pulled her into his arms. He held her for a long time, and when they pulled back, his smile was radiant. He kissed her all over her face, planted a fierce kiss on her lips.

"You're happy?" she queried nervously.

"I'm happy whichever way it goes, Vi. It's not great timing, obviously; but of course I'm happy!"

She smiled too, and they hugged again. But Fred had soon grown solemn.

"Maybe Mum's right. Maybe you should stay here, with Ginny. I want you safe and...well, especially now. I – you can't get hurt, Vi"

Viria glared up at him, fuming, "No. I can't believe you'd even suggest it. You must know what I'm going to say?"

Fred sighed heavily, "Yes, of course I do. But I don't like it"

"I couldn't care less whether you like it or not. We're going to fight _because_ I might be pregnant, and if it turns out I am, we want our baby to have a better life than this, to live in a better world than this. Yes?"

Fred gulped, "Yes. Yes, you're right. Okay" he hesitated, "Stay close to me"

"Always" she agreed, and, hearts pounding, they steeled themselves for the fight to come.


	29. War

**A/N: Hey, I'm back! So, I set up a poll to decide which of two ways this story is going – thank you so much to those who voted – and the vote was unanimous! So I hope you're all happy with the way this is going, and please review. Thank you **

_Just close your eyes  
>The sun is going down<br>You'll be alright  
>No one can hurt you now<br>Come morning light  
>You and I'll be safe and sound<em>

_Don't you dare look out your window_  
><em>Darling everything's on fire<em>  
><em>The war outside our door keeps raging on<em>  
><em>Hold on to this lullaby<em>  
><em>Even when the music's gone<em>

_Just close your eyes_  
><em>The sun is going down<em>  
><em>You'll be alright<em>  
><em>No one can hurt you now<em>  
><em>Come morning light<em>  
><em>You and I'll be safe and sound – Safe and Sound, Taylor Swift.<em>

As promised, Fred held tight to Viria's hand as they moved into the corridors. Percy was close behind them, but George had disappeared with Lee Jordan and Fred was obviously feeling edgy without having his twin close. Viria's nails were digging into him.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here"

Viria spun around on her heel, pulling Fred with her, to face Fenrir Greyback. He was in his human form at the present time, and he was somehow much scarier. His eyes leered down at her and she could swear he licked his lips. She flinched, before remembering that she was with Fred this time, and Fred had sworn to protect her.

Fred put his hands either side of her waist and moved her out of the way, standing between her and Greyback.

"Hello, Fenrir" he said pleasantly. Greyback's eyes slid reluctantly from Viria to Fred.

"Move aside, boy. This girl and I have unfinished business" he gestured towards Viria's cheek, "See, I left my mark"

Fred glowered at him, "I don't think so" he grabbed Viria's left hand and held it up to show Fenrir the emerald ring and the gold wedding band, "I left my mark, too. And mine's much more permanent"

Greyback shook his head, smirking, tongue lolling, "What a waste. Such a lovely girl...a lovely neck...I'm sure she would be very...accommodating"

Fred did not wait to hear any more. Jabbing his wand into Greyback's chest, he hissed "Avada Kedavra!" without a second's thought, without a moment's hesitation. Viria screamed in horror at what he had just done.

"You've just killed him!" she cried as Greyback thudded onto the ground, still leering. Fred turned to look at her. His eyes were still blazing.

"Yes? And what did you expect? You didn't think I'd let him live after what he did to you, did you?"

"I – " Viria was startled by this new side to Fred, cold and ruthless and prepared to murder.

"I told you after it happened that I was going to kill him. I swore to it. I was always going to do it" the fire died in his eyes, "Are you angry with me? Did you not want me to?"

"No! No, of course I'm not angry with you" Viria protested, looking down at Greyback's inert body, "I was just...shocked, that's all"

"I'm doing this for us, remember?" Fred reminded gently and, smiling, Viria nodded.

"Yes. Yes, of course you are, I – "

"FRED! VIRIA! _MOVE_!"

Viria was stunned to see Harry, Ron and Hermione racing towards them from what looked like the direction of the Whomping Willow, waving their hands frantically, Hermione screaming. She looked up.

The roof above their heads was caving in.

Fred had seen it too. Grabbing her by the forearm he jerked her forward into a run, but much too late. Thunder rolled around their ears as the stone began to crumble, raining down onto them. Viria was clinging to Fred. A stone gargoyle was tumbling down above them.

"Fred!" Viria shrieked, and suddenly she was on the floor, winded from where Fred had pushed her, his body covering hers to protect her. They lay there for a long time while the stone crashed down around them, both drifting in and out of consciousness, not quite knowing where the next piece of stone would land, whether it would crush them both flat and end their lives forever.

Viria stirred when she could hear nothing more. She tried to reach up to feel a throbbing patch on her head that she was sure was bleeding, but found that Fred was still laying on top of her and she couldn't move her arm. She tried to focus her eyes, panicking suddenly because Fred had not moved, but her vision was blurry and she couldn't quite tell if he was looking at her with open or closed eyes. Her throat was clogged with dust.

"Fred?" she croaked, coughing and spluttering, "Fred!"

It felt like his weight was crushing her ribs. It took him the longest, longest time to reply, during which all sorts of awful, terrifying, unspeakable thoughts, raced through Viria's head.

"It's okay, Vi" his voice was hoarse too, "I'm okay"

"You're not stuck, are you?"

"There's something on my leg, I think it's one of the flagstones" as her eyes focused she saw Fred wince, "I think it might be broken"

"How the Hell are we going to get out of here?" they could hear thudding footsteps over the stones. Fred's eyes focused and he saw the blood running down from the top of Viria's head towards her eye, sticking together the dark eyelashes.

"What's happened to your head?"

"It's just a scratch, it's nothing. I'm more worried about your leg"

"Fred! Are you alright?"

"Viria!"

It was not Harry, Ron and Hermione, as they had been expecting, but George, Lee Jordan and Katie Bell. Katie had blood all over her face and a black eye.

"I think my leg's broken" Fred explained, still croaking, "And Viria's hurt her head – "

"I'm fine!"

" – We need help getting out"

"Of course!" Katie moved to help George and Lee lift the flagstone off of Fred's leg. They heard Katie's little shriek of horror and a sharp intake of breath from Lee.

"I don't think you're going to be walking for a while" George said lightly, but Fred heard the worry in his voice. He wasn't sure he wanted to see what his leg would look like.

He was lifted up by George and Lee and carried outdoors to be laid on the grass of the Hogwarts grounds, leaving Katie to help Viria. Ignoring her head wound, Viria ran to Fred and knelt down beside him, staring with fixed horror at his leg.

"Oh my God" she breathed.

The bone was sticking out from just below his knee, and there was blood everywhere. Fred had gone a faint shade of greenish-grey, letting out sharp panting breaths between gritted teeth. Viria looked at his leg for a long time.

"Oh my God..." she breathed again, and promptly fainted.

* * *

><p>When she woke, Viria was in the rather battered looking hospital wing. Sunlight was streaming through the windows, and everything was...quiet.<p>

Quiet.

Was that good, or did that mean they had lost?

Viria sat bolt upright in bed and closed her eyes to let a wave of dizziness and sickness pass. When she opened them again, she saw that she was surrounded by people. Fred was grinning at her from the next bed, his leg wrapped up in bandage and plaster.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up" he said cheerfully. Viria grinned back.

"You're okay! How's your leg?"

"Much better. How's your head?"

"Fine, I told you" she looked to the other side of his bed, where Molly, Arthur, George and Ginny were sat, and the end of her bed, where her parents had perched. They all smiled at her.

"We won, Viria" Ginny told her with a beaming smile, "It's over. It's all over"

Viria breathed a deep sigh of relief, "Oh, thank God. Is everyone okay?"

"Mostly" said Ginny, and when Viria looked stricken, she added, "No-one you know"

She wanted to ask for more details, but the sudden sadness on the faces of the Weasleys stopped her doing so. Frank kissed her forehead.

"You always give us something to worry about, don't you?" he teased. Viria chuckled.

"Sorry, Papa" she looked to her mother, and added awkwardly, "Sorry, Maman"

"I'm just glad you are alive" Giselle responded; indeed, she looked pale and tired, and Viria thought that maybe she did care after all.

"We'd best leave you both to rest" said Molly brightly, kissing them both on the forehead, "You'll be ready to come home tomorrow if you just rest"

The Weasleys and Beauchamps departed; Giselle threw a sad look at Viria over her shoulder. Once they were gone, Fred reached across the beds and held her hand.

"I hope you don't mind, I had Madam Pomfrey check for you while you were asleep"

"Check?" Viria frowned at him quizzically; then, with her understanding, her grip tightened, "Fred, what did she say_? What did she say_?"

Fred's grin widened, "Vi, you were right. We're having a baby"


	30. Announcement

**A/N: Hi, me again! Thank you so much for the reviews of the last chapter, and for your votes on its outcome! Only two chapters left! I am so sad about that . Please review and thank you for reading!**

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing  
>Watch you smile while you are sleeping<br>While you're far away and dreaming  
>I could spend my life in this sweet surrender<br>I could stay lost in this moment forever  
>Where every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure<em>

_Don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep_  
><em>'Cause I'd miss you baby and I don't wanna miss a thing<em>  
><em>'Cause even when I dream of you, the sweetest dream would never do<em>  
><em>I'd still miss you baby and I don't want to miss a thing – Don't wanna miss a thing, Aerosmith.<em>

The Weasleys, the Beauchamps, Hermione and Harry all returned to the Burrow the next day. Fred had to wear the bandage for an extra few days, though Madam Pomfrey was confident that she had mended the bones in his leg successfully. He hobbled around using a crutch, which George teased him about endlessly. Viria still suffered from brief giddy spells and pains in the back of her head, but the two of them were just happy to be alive and together. They told no-one about the baby.

Viria came across Ginny sitting in her bedroom, curled up on the window seat looking out into the garden. She could see that Ginny was watching Harry, who was taking frequent wanders alone since their return. She wasn't sure if this was because he wanted to give the loved-up Ron and Hermione some space, or because he still felt guilty about all those that had died, or simply because he had been through so much that his mind couldn't settle to the idea of it all being over. He and Ginny had barely spoken.

"Hey" Viria pushed Ginny's legs over and curled up on the seat with her, "Why don't you go and join him?"

Ginny tore her gaze away from the window to look at her best friend, "I don't think he wants me to"

"He was happy to see you"

"I was happy to see him, too, but he hasn't so much as given a hint of wanting us to be back together"

"Ginny! You know he loves you" Viria cried in protest, "You know he does!"

"Do you really think so?" Ginny looked anxious, but her face had lit up.

Viria nodded, "Yes, I know so. And you love him. So what are you waiting for?"

"It's alright for you. You and Fred didn't have all these complications. He loved you and you loved him and that was that"

"How can you say we didn't have complications?" Viria laughed, "All those months we spent apart? I regret them so much now"

"Yeah, but everything's okay between you _now_. Speaking of which, I'd appreciate it if you remembered that you're sleeping in the room next door to me now, and I can hear absolutely everything"

Viria's face flared with colour, "Ginny, stop it!"

"It's true!" Ginny was grinning, enjoying watching Viria squirm, "I didn't think you'd be able to do any of that with Fred's leg all bandaged, but I was certainly proven wrong, wasn't I?"

"Please stop talking!" Viria was raspberry pink by this time, but Ginny was enjoying herself too much to stop teasing, "You make it sound as though we're at it all the time!"

"You are, pretty much. And George agrees with me, he never imagined that you'd be so _loud_ – "

"Oh God, PLEASE, stop talking!" Viria shrieked, and promptly whacked Ginny about the head with a pillow. Ginny laughed.

"Okay, okay! I'll stop! You take things way too seriously"

"Anyway" Viria said quickly, still blushing, "We were talking about you and Harry. Don't change the subject. You need to talk to him and find out what's actually going on between you"

"Really? Are you sure? What if he really doesn't want to be with me, and the whole Voldemort thing was just an excuse?"

"It wasn't. I know it wasn't. Please, Ginny, go!" Viria pushed Ginny up from the seat, smiling, "Go on"

Ginny, laughing but also looking rather nervous, grinned, "Okay, I'm going. Thanks"

"You're welcome" Viria stretched out, "Now I get this seat all to myself"

Ginny paused in the doorway, "Oh, and, Viria?"

"Yes?" Viria had closed her eyes and was letting the sun soak in. Ginny smiled.

"I know that you're pregnant. I overheard you and Fred talking the other night"

Viria sat bolt upright, "Oh. Ginny, I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you – we're planning to announce it tonight, I just thought – "

"I'm not offended" Ginny ran back to Viria and hugged her tightly, "I am _so _happy for both of you. You deserve this"

"Thanks, Gin" Viria hugged back, "But you deserve your happy ending too. Go and get it"

* * *

><p>That evening after dinner, Harry and Ginny disappeared for another walk around the garden. When they returned they were both smiling, and holding hands. Molly, Hermione and Viria shared a secret beam of triumphant connivance behind their backs.<p>

"You want to tell them now?" Fred whispered in Viria's ear. They were still seated at the table –there was a significant lack of chairs – and he had his arm draped casually over the back of her chair. The bandage on his leg had been removed that day.

Viria looked worriedly up at him, teeth tearing at her lip, "I'm scared to"

"It's ok. They'll be happy"

"What are you two whispering about?" Percy asked enthusiastically – he'd been a lot more fun than he used to be lately – he , Fred and George were getting on much better than before.

Everyone looked up. Ginny caught Viria's eye and winked at her. It was time to own up.

"Actually, we have something we wanted to tell all of you" Viria was glad it was Fred who had spoken up, "A sort of...an announcement to make" he looked at Viria hopefully, as if waiting for her to speak. When she didn't, but looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes, he continued.

"Viria and I...well, Viria really...we..." he trailed off, and Viria realised he was more nervous than he had let on. She almost laughed.

"We're going to have a baby" she finished for him, smiling, "I'm pregnant"

There was a great swell of sound in the room, and suddenly they were being battered on all sides by members of their two families, all wanting to hug and congratulate them.

"Get in there, Fred!" Ron cried boisterously, but upon receiving a withering glare from Viria he wished he hadn't spoken.

"Oh, sweetheart, such wonderful news" Giselle and Molly were both crying, and Viria felt slightly guilty that she held onto Molly for longer than she had her own mother.

Frank had gone a rather worrying shade of purple, and Viria wondered if he might explode, or, at the very least, punch Fred. To her surprise, he did neither. Instead, he simply hugged her and held her there for a very, very long time.

"You're really not a little girl anymore, are you?" he said forlornly, and kissed her hair.

Viria and Fred looked at each other as everybody celebrated around them, and she grabbed his hand.

Suddenly she knew that they were going to be together for a very, very long time.

**A/N: Sorry, me again! Only the epilogue left now. Please review!**


	31. Epilogue

**A/N: I was going to wait until I got some reviews, but I'm just so excited! I'm going to miss this story so much, and all of you guys who've reviewed. Thank you SO much for reading (I'm going to write a really long AN to thank you all properly) and I hope, hope, hope you enjoy this last chapter! Lots of love xx Please review!**

_I am lost  
>I am found!<br>A heart full of light  
>A night bright as day<br>And you must never go away  
>Cosette, Cosette<br>This is a chain we'll never break  
>Do I dream?<br>I'm awake! – A Heart Full of Love, Les Miserables._

**FIVE YEARS LATER**

A small four-year-old girl sat at the window of her home in Diagon Alley, squinting to see the end of the road. Anyone could see that she was waiting for something with measured excitement. She had thick, silky ringlets of a vibrant red shade, and large, appealing green eyes. Her skin was pale and spattered with light freckles. She wore a pale apple-green party dress with a wide white sash.

Suddenly, she jolted to alertness in her seat. A babble of voices could be heard from downstairs, and she had just seen two almost identical red-haired young men turning the corner.

"Mummy, they're coming!" she called. Her mother came rushing to the window to confirm her daughter's warning. She smiled upon seeing that the little girl was correct.

"Good girl, Bonnie. Go and tell everyone downstairs to keep quiet and hide, okay?"

Bonnie nodded, beaming at her mother, "You look pretty, Mummy"

"Not as pretty as you!" Viria laughed in return, kissing Bonnie's forehead, "Go on, off you go!"

Viria studied herself in the mirror and nodded once, acknowledging the good choice she had made with her outfit. It was her and Fred's five-year wedding anniversary, and all their friends and family had suddenly gone quiet downstairs as they scrambled for hiding places. She had organised a surprise party for Fred, knowing how much he loved a good party.

She heard his key turn in the door downstairs and Bonnie's running feet. Peering over the banister covertly, she watched Fred scoop his daughter up into the air and kiss her button nose.

"Hey, Bon-Bon! Where's Mummy?"

"SURPRISE!" the Weasleys, the Beauchamps and a variety of Fred and Viria's friends leapt out from behind sofas, beneath tables, tucked behind curtains. Viria chose that moment to make her grand entrance, while Fred was still spluttering in shock, his eyes shining with delight. He froze when he saw her, a smile playing on his lips.

"You did all this?" he asked, stunned. She giggled, her eyes sparkling also. Bonnie slid to the floor and watched both her parents, just as everyone else was doing.

"Of course I did" Viria smiled. Fred moved towards her and planted a light, warm kiss on her lips.

"You look stunning" he whispered. Viria smiled, tucking her loose black ringlets behind her ears so he could see that she was wearing the emerald earrings he had bought her. He had left them on her pillow that morning when he left for work, as a present to match her engagement ring. She was wearing a beautiful evening dress of emerald silk that was cut in a low neckline, reaching down to just above her navel, and clung to her every curve. He was pretty sure, from the tightness of it, that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"Happy anniversary" she whispered in return, and this time, they kissed properly, to whoops and cheers from the gathered guests.

"This is the best present ever" Fred replied with a smile, drawing Bonnie close to them, "Thank you"

* * *

><p>They danced that night, everyone, Viria swaying in Fred's arms. Bonnie danced with little Teddy Lupin and her beloved cousin Victoire, her face flushed and pink and joyful. Viria and Fred both smiled to see her that way.<p>

Viria surveyed their assembled guests with a great swoop of happiness in her heart. Ginny and Harry were dancing too, wedding bands gleaming and Ginny's huge baby bump keeping them from getting too close. They were laughing. Ron and Hermione twirled past them, newly engaged (it had taken Ron even longer than Fred and George had betted to propose), Ron accidentally-on-purpose stomping on Percy's toe as he and his new girlfriend, the surprisingly liberal Audrey, danced past them. George and Angelina, newly wed, were locked in an embrace that, had Fred not been completely distracted by the beauty of his wife, would have been broken up with a crude joke. Neville and Luna had just broken up, and, although Luna was with her new boyfriend, Rolf, she and Neville were chatting and laughing, obviously enjoying each other's company. Viria did cherish a secret hope that they might get back together. Her parents and the Weasleys were seated together, watching everyone dance, fussing over Bonnie, Teddy and Victoire in complete harmony.

"I can't believe you managed to get Bonnie to keep this a secret" Fred said in disbelief, drawing Viria's attention back to him, "She tells me everything"

"She's definitely a daddy's girl. But that's why she kept the secret so well, because she knew the surprise would make you happy" she hesitated a moment, "Are you happy? With everything, I mean, not just tonight"

Fred laughed in disbelief, "Of course I'm happy! Vi, I'm married to the most beautiful woman in the world, I have a gorgeous daughter who I love to bits, and my family is amazing. I love my job. We have our own house. You've put up with me for all these years and you don't seem like you're getting sick of me yet. What's not to be happy about?"

Viria laughed too, relieved, and kissed him, "Hey, can you keep a secret?"

"Haven't I always kept your secrets?"

Viria stood on tiptoe to enable herself to whisper in his ear, "I'm not wearing anything under this dress"

Fred's eyes roved over her, "Don't tell me things like that in a crowd of people"

She winked, "I just thought you might like to know"

* * *

><p>Fred had to carry Bonnie up to bed when everyone left. She was exhausted, but had refused to go to bed until every last guest was gone. Of course, George and Angelina were always the last to leave, and Viria had had to practically push them out of the door so she could get Bonnie to bed.<p>

Fred dropped Bonnie into her bed and she giggled happily, rosy-cheeked from the excitement of the evening. She had clambered under the blankets in her new party dress, but Viria saw how sleepy she was and didn't have the heart to drag her back out of bed to put her pyjamas on.

"Did you have a good time, Bonnie?" she asked, stroking her daughter's Weasley red hair. Fred sat the other side of their daughter, smiling down at her.

"Yes!" Bonnie exclaimed, yawning, "Did I do good with the secret, Daddy?"

Fred chuckled, "No-one could have made a better secret-keeper"

"Good" Bonnie beamed with pride, eyelids drooping, "And I was the watcher, too. I had to look out the window and tell Mummy when you were coming"

"You're such a clever girl" Fred replied, knowing this was exactly what his daughter wanted to hear. God, she had grown up so fast. He still remembered the day, nearly five years ago now, when she had been born. Viria hadn't wanted a home birth, but she'd got one – Bonnie had come quickly, early and without any warning, while Ginny was over for tea. Ginny delivered Bonnie, something Fred would have liked to have done, but Viria refused to let him even look at Bonnie being born, let alone take an active role in the process. So he had held her hand and cut the cord, and cried when he held his daughter in his arms for the first time. Part of him wished Bonnie was still that tiny unexpected baby.

"I love you, Daddy" said Bonnie brightly, "I love you too, Mummy"

"We love you too" Viria kissed Bonnie's forehead, "Now go to sleep, okay? Mummy's very tired and wants to get to bed"

It was almost as if Viria's words had knocked her out; Bonnie had fallen asleep in seconds, clutching the soft-toy owl that she carried everywhere. Fred and Viria left the room and shut the door quietely behind them, making their way to their room, where Viria promptly fell into Fred's arms with a Cheshire-cat-like grin.

"I'm guessing you're not too tired, after all?" Fred observed as she untied the ribbon that held up her dress and let it fall in a silken waterfall to the ground. She looked up at him from under her eyelashes.

"No, I'm not. Aren't you glad?"


	32. AN

HEY! So, this is basically going to be a really long AN used to thank people, because I like to thank people when they do nice things. So, thank you so much to those of you who reviewed:

Lady Eleanor Boleyn (who is a brilliant friend and a faithful reviewer of many of my stories, and whose Harry Potter stuff is pure genius)

Scarpelt18 (who writes a really good HP fanfiction called Emerald S Ride that you should all go and read!)

Emmasexual (who writes some really interesting sounding HP stuff that I am looking forward to reading and reviewing!)

HPravlover

One Smart Waffle

Superpig909 (who is just awesomely nice)

AlexieBelle (one of my closest friends and most faithful editor)

Also, thank you so much to everyone who favourited, story alerted, author alerted...honestly, I was amazed by how many people liked it! And there I was thinking people would hate me for writing an OC into Harry Potter. There you go.

I was debating writing a sequel involving a love triangle between Bonnie, Victoire and Teddy, but I'm not too sure about it, so if anyone does want to read it, let me know and I'll start writing it! If not...well, I'll write other Harry Potter stuff, obviously!

Thanks again.

Lots of love, GreenField.


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